Esper Child
by Quatermass
Summary: A hero spurned by those who he was meant to save makes a decision to end his life. But dragonfire, instead of ending his life, destroys bindings that have been there since his birth. Claimed by his true father, Harry Potter and his remaining friends end up in another world, where the Gestahl Empire rules. There, he will find a friend in another child of the Espers: Terra...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

This is derived from an old idea for a story I had ages ago. Elements of that story would eventually appear in _A Third Summoner_ , but I originally intended it to be a crossover with _Final Fantasy VI_ , and then, later, with _Final Fantasy IV_. I eventually decided to start another crossover, but with a different starting point. I want to try and vary where I start my Harry Potter stories. Many of them begin at the beginning, but that gets old after a while, and I've been trying to vary that with my latest crossovers.

The starting-point and the general mood of the beginning takes some cues from Bobmin356's excellent fic _The Queen Who Fell to Earth_ , though unlike that story, this will be one of the few Harry Potter stories where I engage in significant amounts of bashing, particularly of Dumbledore ( _Sins of the Father_ , to date, is the only other one, and I am taking some cues from that story as well). I find that much harder to do than reconstructing the man, but I felt an evil Dumbledore was required of this work. Once we get to a certain point, there'll be few Harry Potter characters in this work, with those who will play a larger role all going to the world of _Final Fantasy VI_.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy VI_.

Secondly, I will be using annotations, as with all of my fics. You have been warned.

Thirdly, due to the darker story elements, this will be an M-rated work. Final Fantasy VI, after all, is one of the darker instalments of the series. There will be language, violence, and at least one suicide attempt. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy VI_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Kekfa will make you die screaming.


	2. Chapter 1: Metamorphosis

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **METAMORPHOSIS**

 _An old man looks at the infant with the green, reptilian eyes. He knew what the child was. And his heart sang with avarice, with the possibilities exploiting one of his kind may bring. Even as the mother screamed for him to bring her child back to her, and her husband (but not the father) began using Memory Charms, the old man began sealing the boy's power away. The reptilian eyes became human._

 _One day, once he had shaped the boy into what he needed, he would take away the bindings. But only once he was sure the boy was under his control. After all, you didn't want an Esper who wasn't under your complete control, did you?_

* * *

It is said that the only thing people love more than to see a hero triumph is to see him fall. Such seems to be the prevailing mood in Magical Britain, as Harry Potter stepped out to face the First Task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Many thought him a liar when he had protested not putting his name into the Goblet of Fire. Too few were convinced of his innocence.

It hadn't been enough for the Boy Who Lived. He had a couple of true friends in Neville and Hermione, true, but Ron had hurt him so badly. Dumbledore hadn't listened to his protests. Snape was being a bastard, along with most of the Slytherins. And, indeed, most of Hogwarts. Even the thought of how Sirius and Lupin would react didn't stop him. His mind was made up.

This was merely the final straw. Being left in the dubious care of the Dursleys, effectively made their slave. Three years at a school that, while magical and mostly enjoyable, had seen fit to put him into danger each and every year. Teachers who were either apathetic or hated him. An old man who admitted to knowing more than he was telling.

Hermione stared at her friend as he staggered out of the tent, his green eyes staring ahead blankly. She didn't know it, but he had sent a letter to be delivered to her later. A suicide note. But even now, she could see the faintest hints of his intentions. There was no wand in his hand, despite her practising summoning charms. He walked mechanically, resignedly. He looked like a walking dead man. She could only hope that she was wrong, that it was just stress, and not a good friend about to commit suicide right in front of her.

The dragon, a rather nasty Hungarian Horntail, had been agitated, a big black dragon with vicious-looking golden eyes. But when it saw Harry, there was something in its eyes. Hermione couldn't discern what.

Harry looked up to the stands, and his eyes met Hermione's. He mouthed a single word to her that confirmed her fears.

 _Goodbye_.

She was so much in shock, she could do little but gawp at Harry as he approached the dragon, even as Ludo Bagman's increasingly incredulous commentary began to press on her mind. But she began screaming as the dragon suddenly belched fire at Harry, engulfing him in flames. So did many others.

But when the flames cleared, Hermione, who was expecting a charred corpse or ashes at best, was utterly shocked. _Something_ was standing there. It had a carapace of black scales over much of its body, though the torso was picked out in green scales that shone. The face was human, and recognisably Harry's, but instead of hair, it seemed to have a crest of black horns and scales, not unlike the very dragon in front of it, and the scaly skin seemed to glow green from within. The eyes, while still the same colour, were now reptilian, with a slit for a pupil. A pair of wings depended from its back, also green, and jewel-like.

"Oh my God…" Hermione whispered. "Harry?"

The thing that Harry had become stared at his now clawed hands in sheer disbelief. He looked down at his draconian body in mounting horror, before he clutched at his head. Something between a scream of anguish and a bellicose roar escaped from his mouth, before his wings beat once, and then twice, and then he shot up into the air, screaming that horrible scream. He flew away into the distance on those wings of his, still screaming.

Silence fell over the arena, and it would be a long time before anyone spoke. Even Ludo Bagman was struck dumb (a vast improvement, in Hermione's opinion). That would soon change, and Hermione knew, not for the better…

* * *

 _Lily Potter, née Evans, was not happy, to say the least. To say that she was discontented was rather like saying that Voldemort was mildly delusional. She had heard of the phrase 'marry in haste, repent at leisure', but now she was getting the full brunt of it._

 _In her head, she cursed Voldemort, she cursed her 'husband', James Potter, and most of all, she cursed Albus Dumbledore. The supposed Leader of the Light, but who firmly believed the ends justified the means in his perverted version of utilitarianism. One of the few true friendships she had ever had, with Severus Snape, had been irrevocably severed when he had revealed his true colours as a blood purist, despite being a Halfblood. He had called her a Mudblood when she had tried to help him after James Potter and his gang attacked him. They had already been drifting apart, but his careless act, showing his true opinion of her, broke her heart. He tried to be sorry, but it wasn't good enough. And she had heard that he had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters._

 _Did she have any friends now at all? Her parents had died only recently. Her sister, she was utterly estranged from. The other Marauders were suspect, with only Remus holding any true trust from her. And what of the Longbottoms and the Weasleys? Were they unwitting or unwilling puppets dangling from Dumbledore's strings? Or were they willing minions of that delusional, decrepit and degenerate bastard?_

 _It mattered not. Lily had stormed from the house in a fit of fury after learning that what she had felt for James Potter had been a lie, fed by a love potion (though that was an oxymoron: it merely provoked an artificial infatuation). No doubt Potter and his friends, along with the Order, would be after her before long. She had Apparated several times to try and throw them off the trail, but they'd find her eventually. She wasn't even sure where she wanted to go, as long as it was as far away from Potter and Dumbledore as she could manage._

 _She didn't notice the man until she all but ran into him, so engrossed was she in her own anger and grief. He was dressed in dark, well-appointed clothes that had all but made him, if not quite invisible, then less likely to see, even in the intermittent pools of light made by the street lamps. His back was to her, and while she hadn't actually run into him, he had noticed her, for he turned and looked over his shoulder, before turning to her. "Are you all right, madam?" he asked in a deep, resonant voice, which was nonetheless gentle._

 _The man was handsome, with a long, elegant face, icy blue eyes, and black hair. There was a regal bearing to him._

 _"I'm fine," she said, making to go pass the man, only for him to stop her._

 _"The bloodshot eyes and the tears mingling with the rain say otherwise. I see anger and betrayal," the man said. "Emotions I am all too-familiar with myself."_

 _Before she could reply or retort, she heard a cry she had dreaded. "There she is!"_

 _The voice was not James, or anyone she knew from that circle. But she recognised the blank white masks and dark robes of Death Eaters._

 _"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Potter's Mudblood whore, it seems," cackled a shrill voice that Lily recognised as that of Bellatrix Lestrange, formerly Bellatrix Black. "And is she having it off with another man? Ooh, that's going to be great on the front page of_ The Daily Prophet _."_

 _"Go to hell, Bellatrix," snarled Lily. "Go back to sucking your master's snake."_

 _"_ Crucio! _" Bellatrix screamed, sending a jet of light Lily's way, but the dark-haired man grabbed her, and pulled her aside in a blur of movement._

 _"Your temperament leaves a lot to be desired," the man said quietly. "It is because of fools like you that wars consume worlds, especially when you put magic into their hands."_

 _Bellatrix Lestrange cocked her head and blinked, before recovering. "Do not mock us, Muggle. We…why are you laughing?"_

 _For indeed, that was what the dark-haired man was doing. He was emitting a soft, sinister chuckle. "You call me Muggle," he said. "That only betrays your ignorance, Death Eater. What makes you think I am a Muggle? Or for that matter, defenceless?"_

 _What happened next would stay in Lily's mind for a long time. Even when Obliviated, it would come to her in dreams. Not nightmares, though, for the man, if you could call him that, fought without brutality, only a clean efficiency, and with a look of great sorrow in his eyes. A few, including Bellatrix Lestrange, had enough presence of mind to flee, using Apparition. Many were frozen in fear, while a few fired off some curses._

 _It didn't do them any good._

 _By the end of it, there were no Death Eaters left. They had either fled, or disintegrated._

 _"…You killed them," Lily said. It wasn't an accusation._

 _"They intended to do that, and worse, to you," the man said quietly. "I came to this world for a holiday, but found myself in another War of the Magi. Even if it's on a much smaller scale. Already, I have heard of those involved. She called you Potter. Are you Lily Potter, then?"_

 _"I wish I wasn't," she said bitterly. Then, she asked, "What's your name?"_

 _"I am…"_

* * *

In another realm, a pair of icy blue reptilian eyes snapped open, awoken from a dream. For a moment, they were wide in shock. But then, they narrowed. And then, the owner of those eyes spoke in a bass, cultured rumble. The words spoke of revelation, and barely-restrained wrath.

" _So…_ _ **that**_ _is what they have done to my son…_ "

* * *

He needed to get away. He needed to get away. Away from the stares and whispers and shouts and screams and just everything and everyone! Dammit, he couldn't even die right!

The dragon had breathed fire on him, but it hadn't burnt him. Oh, he had felt pain, but it was as if something was being released. Other than his soul from his body. He fancied he could even hear a faint, shrill scream that wasn't anyone he knew, though he had heard Hermione's voice.

He stared at his clawed hands again, even as he flew away from Hogwarts, away from what had been his first true home. A bitter chuckle wormed itself from his lips. His 'guardians' were right. He was a freak. But not like they thought.

But the dragon, shortly before it had attacked him, it had called him 'my liege', and then called him 'the Prince of Dragons'. It claimed it was setting him free. Incidentally, it spoke to him within his own head.

He also felt powerful, so much powerful than he once was. Like he could do anything.

Eventually, he tired of running, partly because he realised that, sooner or later, he may get spotted. It would be bad enough if it were wizards and witches, but what if a Muggle saw him?

He came in to land on a hillside, not far from a cave. As he landed, he sagged to his knees, and began to sob.

"Hey, who's there?" spoke a voice from within the cave. A horribly familiar voice.

 _No_ , Harry thought. _Not him_.

Sirius Black emerged from the cave, staring at Harry in horror. "Oh, Merlin! Harry! Is that you?"

"Don't come any closer…" Harry whimpered, turning away.

"Harry…it's me, Sirius. Your godfather. Padfoot." Sirius walked around in front of him, and squatted down, peering into his face with concern. "Merlin, what did they do to you?"

"They did nothing. I just…the dragon burned me…and I turn into…this!"

"But how…I mean…" Suddenly, Sirius' face cleared up, as if he remembered something. "So it did end up like that." He then put a hand on Harry's shoulder, despite the scales. "Harry, listen to me. I think I know the reason why this has happened. Or I suspect it. It's going to be a shock, so please…brace yourself."

Harry laughed, a cracked, braying noise. "What can be more of a shock than me turning into a dragon?"

Sirius sighed. "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. The thing is, Lily…she had an affair. And that man…he may have been your father instead of Prongs."

Harry looked up at him sharply. "What?"

"Your mother…she made these accusations at one point, that Dumbledore had basically engineered her falling in love with Prongs, using Amortentia. That's a love potion, by the way. I…I didn't really believe her at the time, but during my time in Azkaban, I had a lot of time to think. I found it easier and easier to believe. Many of Dumbledore's actions…"

"No…" Harry whispered in a denial he didn't truly feel. He had thought so highly of Dumbledore before, and while the pedestal was crumbling, it hadn't yet broken.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a voice from behind them. A deep, resonant voice. "Someone certainly bound your true nature, my son."

Harry and Sirius whirled to find a regal-looking man in an elegant suit, and shoulder-length dark hair, with icy blue eyes. He resembled Harry's father vaguely. But despite a rather haughty air, there was compassion and sorrow dancing within those eyes.

"Who are you?!" Sirius demanded. "How the hell did you get up here? And why did you call Harry your child?!"

"Because he IS my child," the man said. "I am the Dragon King Bahamut, and Harry is my son."

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Whoo. This was actually hard to get out. Originally, I didn't have Harry flying away from Hogwarts so swiftly, but I decided to have him having a similar reaction to obtaining his Esper form as Terra did in the game.**

 **That flashback involving Lily and Bahamut was actually a modified version of a scene from my first attempt at the first chapter of** ** _Sins of the Father_** **, but with Orochimaru replaced by Bahamut. It needed minimal rewriting.**

 **As mentioned in the foreword, Harry having a suicidal attitude to the First Task was taken from** ** _The Queen Who Fell to Earth_** **by Bobmin356 (in a manner similar to that work, the Horcrux in Harry's scar has gone bye-bye in the dragonfire). Some elements, of Harry being 'claimed' by a 'divine' parent, also comes from a variety of crossovers with Percy Jackson that I have read.**

 **Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that the first chapter title is identical to a music track from the original game. This is no mistake, and I hope to use music track titles from Final Fantasy VI (and other titles in the series) for chapter titles.**

 **BTW, I was struggling to think of how Bahamut would sound. I actually realised (though this sounds like typecasting) that Benedict Cumberbatch would be a good fit. Think of Bahamut's dragon form as a more benevolent Smaug and his human form being like Sherlock Holmes, but slower and more measured.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	3. Chapter 2: Open Your Heart

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **OPEN YOUR HEART**

Harry stared at Bahamut for a while, before he scoffed bitterly. "Where were you all this time?"

"I couldn't find you, though I did my best to do so," Bahamut said. "Unfortunately, someone bound your Esper abilities, and thus, hampered my ability to find you."

"Wait, wait, hold up," Sirius asked. "Esper? You're an _Esper?_ "

"Indeed. You know of us?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "My family had some obscure tomes. I once read a book on summon magic a long time ago. Eidolons, Aeons, Espers…though I think Esper is also a Muggle term for a psychic(1)."

"Wait, what?" Harry yelped. "What are you talking about, Sirius?"

Sirius looked at Harry. "Okay, well…it's easy to confuse a summoning charm, which brings an object or even a person to you at rapid speed…and summon magic. Summon magic calls forth a powerful magical entity to battle on your behalf, albeit briefly. It's a fairly obscure branch of magic, partly because you require a lot of power to do it, but also because, given the entities summoned, it's seen as amongst the darker branches of magic."

"They fear what they cannot understand, or, at times, cannot control," Bahamut said. He waved a hand, and suddenly, Harry felt himself change. Suddenly, he was back in his robes again (hadn't they gotten burned off(2)?), and he was no longer part-dragon, in appearance, anyway. Bahamut nodded. "What the dragon did was unleash the Esper within you. All dragons in this world and another acknowledge me as king." Bahamut then embraced Harry. "I must apologise, Harry. Unfortunately, the bindings prevented me from finding you, or else I would have come sooner. And I had troubles of my own that I had to deal with."

Harry wasn't sure what to think of this. Eventually, he said, "Just…tell me what I am. Why you're my father."

Bahamut nodded, sitting Harry down, before doing so himself. Sirius sat down on Harry's opposite side. Bahamut then began. "I am one of the Elders of the Esper World, a realm distinct from this one. A millennia ago, on yet another world, there was a war between humans and Espers. Espers were, originally, humans transformed by the magic of a trio of deities, in order to fight as their warriors. But once the deities opted not to fight anymore, and gave us back our free will, humans began seeking our magical power. The Espers and the Magi, the magic users, became divided amongst themselves, some even fighting on our behalf. Eventually, we withdrew from the world into a pocket dimension of our own making. A thousand years later, more or less, an intruder came into our lands, a human woman by the name of Madeline(3). She was heavily wounded, and despite the objections of many of our number, she was treated."

"Why would they object? She was hurt," Harry said.

"Yes, but please understand, many humans exploited us for our power during the War of the Magi. Those wounds run deep even now. Madeline herself was innocent. Indeed, she was one of the rare Magi left in the world, but had been captured and experimented upon by the Gestahl Empire. She escaped, but had been pursued and wounded before she used magic to try and teleport home. Instead, she ended up in a cave system leading to our world. Madeline caught the eye of Maduin, an Esper of great fortitude and moral fibre. Having seen how well they got along, I opted to travel to this world. I had done so before, at the time of the Founding of Hogwarts."

"Really?" Sirius asked.

"I believe the motto of that school is 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon'. Godric Gryffindor was the reason why that phrase was coined," Bahamut said with a thin smile(4). "I came to the city of London, and found ways to find the local Magi population. I soon learned that you were in the middle of what was effectively a civil war over the most trivial of reasons: the purity of blood." Bahamut scoffed. "I soon learned of the major players in your war on both sides, and quite by chance, I encountered one of them: Lily Potter. She had fled from her husband upon learning he had been feeding her Amortentia for years. Shortly after we met, a group of Death Eaters, led by a woman called Bellatrix, attacked us. Most didn't survive the night."

Sirius laughed. "You faced my own cousin? Pity you didn't kill her. She was a crazy, sadistic bitch."

"She had just enough sense to flee when I unleashed my wrath," Bahamut said. "In the aftermath, Lily was shocked, but I took her back to a hotel I was staying at. I comforted her, I listened to her. For several days, she stayed with me. We even slept together. I had every intention of taking her back with me to our world. But then, James Potter and Dumbledore attacked. A powerful spell sent me back to the Esper World, and I was comatose for nearly two years. By the time I recovered enough to try and mount an attempt to rescue her, we had a crisis of our own: the Gestahl Empire somehow managed to find us, and mounted a raid to capture us. I know that Maduin and his child, Terra, were captured, along with others like Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh. And when I decided to try and find Lily, I found that I could not find her."

"The Fidelius Charm," Sirius murmured. "It must have prevented you from finding her."

"And I soon had to give up looking for you or Lily. In my despair, I believed that they were lost to me forever. I knew not that you had survived. On occasion, I sometimes slipped into this world, and learned of a 'Harry Potter'. But how could I be sure that you were my whelp, or James Potter's? I didn't want to approach you, in case I was wrong. I had no right to take a child not of my own blood."

"…I would have come with you anyway, had you asked," Harry said miserably.

"I am asking now. I could sense your distress, Harry. I can take you from this. I will even allow a small selection of your friends to come."

Harry laughed bitterly. It wasn't as if he had many. And the laughter soon died in his throat when he realised he had very nearly committed suicide in front of them.

"Harry…what about Ron? Hermione? Neville?" Sirius asked.

"Ron thought I put my name into the Goblet. We aren't friends anymore," Harry said bitterly. "Hermione and Neville…they could come. But what about Hermione's parents?"

"They are welcome as long as they can accept living amongst us. Are they Magi?"

"No. Muggle dentists," Harry said. He looked at Sirius. "And what about Lupin?"

"I can contact him," Sirius said. "But how will we get them all together?"

"Easily. I know spells similar to those that create Portkeys. Write letters, and I will bring them here…"

* * *

Later that night, Hermione, Neville, and Lupin arrived, though there was an unexpected passenger coming along with Neville, a girl about a year younger than them with dirty-blonde hair and pale eyes, who immediately bowed to Bahamut and called him "Your Majesty." Neville introduced her as Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw of a somewhat eccentric demeanour who had skipped over and grabbed a hold of the letter when he activated it.

" _And why did you do that?_ " Bahamut had asked, irritated and amused.

" _Because I've always wanted to meet an Esper_ ," the girl had said guilelessly. " _Can we bring Daddy?_ "

It was turning into quite the party, frankly. But after explanations, Hermione and Neville agreed. Neville hadn't been very happy with his grandmother of late, and given the conditions of his parents…well, he wanted to be somewhere where he could be happy, and free of expectations. And Hermione, once she learned where she was going and that she could take her parents, decided that the prejudiced world of Magical Britain had nothing on a hidden world of Espers.

They made their way first to Ottery St Catchpole (where Xenophilus Lovegood jumped at the chance to head to a world of Espers), and then to the Granger home. That took longer, given how the Grangers had a moderately successful dentistry practise. They were glad Hermione now wanted shot of a school that was becoming increasingly dangerous for her.

But then again, they had also wanted a seachange for some time, something delayed by Hermione going to Hogwarts. And what more of a change of scenery than to travel to another world?

The next morning, after packing, the three students, four adults (though Sirius' status as an adult was debatable) and an Esper activated a spell and vanished. And their timing was quite serendipitous, too. Dumbledore, having noted Hermione's absence, had come with Snape to the Granger residence that morning. They missed them by about ten minutes. All that was left was a trace of magic…and an envelope.

When Dumbledore opened it, he realised his plans to use Harry as his personal weapon had backfired. Internally, he raged because he could no longer have an Esper to command, something he had feared since yesterday's events.

 _Dear Dumbledore,_

 _I know who my father, my real father is. I don't know the whole truth…but I suspect it. And this year has shown me who my real friends are in Hogwarts. I've been given an opportunity to go home, and take my friends with me. I've accepted._

 _Because I'm sick of it. Sick of having Voldemort after me year in, year out. Or having to deal with Magical Britain's crab bucket mentality(_ _5)_ _. Or being forced to live with the Dursleys when you fail to explain why._

 _I very nearly committed suicide during the First Task. That's how far you pushed me. If anything about the last few years wasn't a lie, then you would feel guilt. I hope I am wrong about you, but I have had enough. I'm leaving this world for another. I hope someone has the wherewithal to fight Voldemort, because I can't do it anymore. It's obviously not you. I've sent memories to Amelia Bones on the advice of Lupin. Hopefully, someone might be able to figure something out._

 _We will not meet again if I have any say._

 _Harry Potter,_

 _Son of Bahamut_

How dare he? How _dare_ he impugn him, Albus Dumbledore? Rage boiled up within Dumbledore. And he would eventually vent that rage by having Snape burn the Granger home to the ground with Fiendfyre. Petty, yes, but it meant that the Grangers had no home to return to. And he could blame it on Snape.

But now he was without a weapon. So many of his plans were ruined. He would have to hurriedly try to repair them, and perhaps find a way to drag that insolent brat back…

* * *

But to no avail. Fawkes couldn't, or wouldn't, go to fetch him.

Perhaps thankfully for all concerned, Voldemort didn't regain his body as he intended at the end of that year. He was forced to undergo a lesser ritual later, by which time Dumbledore, working fast to correct one of his biggest mistakes, had managed to hunt down almost all of the Horcruxes. Unfortunately for Magical Britain, he was cursed by one of them, and was murdered by a vindictive Snape. Snape hated serving two masters, and made a plea bargain with the DMLE. Amelia Bones accepted, and during a massive battle, Voldemort was vanquished once more, and soon, they did manage to find the last Horcruxes, and with them disposed of, Voldemort ceased to be. Snape, however, soon found himself imprisoned within Azkaban for the rest of his natural life, despite his bargaining. He had been forced to a Veritaserum interrogation after everything was said and done, and the things he hadn't told Amelia Bones when under its influence ensured he would remain in Azkaban.

Ron Weasley gained some small notoriety when he collaborated with Rita Skeeter on the dubiously named _Harry Potter: The True Story_. Two-thirds truth and a third bullshit, it did help replenish the coffers of the Weasley household, and considering that many considered Harry to be a coward who had abandoned Magical Britain in their time of need, Ron's star shone for a time. But it led to a rift between Ron and Ginny. Ginny knew that Harry was no coward, but she also wondered what had possessed him to leave, as well as her friend, Luna. Ginny would later find love elsewhere, but she wouldn't forget Harry Potter, and for the best of reasons, despite her fangirlish nature. Ron, however, thought him a coward to the end of his days, although doubt still niggled at his mind, doubt born by his actions when Harry's name came from the Goblet of Fire.

Draco Malfoy narrowly escaped Azkaban, though his father was not so lucky. That being said, while he still believed in the whole blood purity nonsense, he was now, under the patient tutelage of his mother, better able to hide it. He moved through political circles as a powerbroker, working more with favours than bribes.

The Dursleys, without Harry's presence, soon lost both the income they had been receiving from the government, and the money from the Potter vault. Said vault was emptied shortly after Potter left. The Dursleys kept up their image of normality, but were attacked by Dementors, sent by Dolores Umbridge to try and draw Harry out of hiding.

Harry Potter's name became one spoken of in dark whispers. To some, he was a coward. To others, he was an unnatural hybrid. To yet others still, he was misunderstood, and alone in his time of need. Many teachers at Hogwarts felt this way especially, with Hagrid and McGonagall being chief amongst them.

But enough of events in that world. These need not concern us any longer. Instead, let us go to a world of Magi, where magic is a slumbering force being revived…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, Harry's left for the world of the Magi. And yes, I did gloss over many things. I just wanted to get this story over to the world of** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **as soon as possible.**

 **Is Harry a coward for leaving this world for that of** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **? I think he's just had enough of everything that has gone on. He's also got his best friends with him, and he's far away from Voldemort and Dumbledore. It won't stop him from getting drawn into the fight against the Gestahl Empire: he still has that Gryffindor valour. But it will take a while for him to recover after being basically chucked into the deep end.**

 **Anyway, time-skip of a couple of years for the next chapter. And the introduction of Terra!**

 **1\. 'Esper', outside of the Final Fantasy games, can mean psychic, and was a term, if I recall correctly, coined by science fiction writer Alfred Bester.**

 **2\. Well, considering Terra seems nude when she transforms, but regains her clothes when she reverts back to normal, I did something similar here. My own personal theory is basically that the part-Espers are a little like Miracleman from the Alan Moore revival of the comic series: he has two bodies, sharing the same experiences (and, for the most part, a similar mind, or at least different parts of the same mind), but one body is kept in a pocket dimension. Harry and Terra basically have a similar arrangement with their Esper forms. Probably thinking too hard about it.**

 **3\. I decided to go with that name rather than Madonna.**

 **4\. This was mentioned in the original crossover I had intended ages ago before it became The Esper Child. Plus, there's something appealing about tying Bahamut to the school motto.**

 **5\. The crab bucket mentality is basically one of the less salubrious parts of the Wizarding World, and not just their sheeple mentality. Tall poppy syndrome is a similar thing. Look up either on Wikipedia.**


	4. Chapter 3: Terra

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **TERRA**

 _Two years later…_

It was dangerous, being so close to Vector. Harry knew this. And the Espers also were worried about what would happen should he be captured. They had removed the barrier keeping the Esper World shut from the rest of the human world, but few were allowed out, lest the Gestahl Empire spot them (though Lupin and Sirius erected wards that helped hide the Sacred Gate, as well as barring entry to any who did not have permission). But Harry was used to stealth.

Lupin and Neville lived full-time within the Esper World now. Neville, with his green thumb, was a popular consultant for the Espers' gardens, and also, once outside the influence of his domineering grandmother and the bullying Snape, had grown proficient in the creation of potions of many kinds. All that was needed was more self-esteem, and a new magical focus to replace his father's wand. Lupin, meanwhile, became a historian of sorts, and was even now compiling a history of the Espers. He was also in a relationship with Siren, who was one of the Espers they had retrieved from Zozo.

Sirius was now living outside the Esper World, his wanderlust strong, and accompanied by Luna, who wanted to see the world and its creatures. The last Harry had heard, they had joined forces with a famous itinerant gambler, Setzer Gabbiani. The Grangers had also left the Esper World for the time being, and now resided at Figaro Castle, having become the personal physicians of King Edgar Figaro. Hermione had become the castle's librarian. Harry had visited Figaro on occasion (though getting across the ocean was tricky: Harry had to use his Esper form, as the only port on their continent was controlled by the Empire). Apparently Edgar was well aware of their ability to use magic, but assured Harry that he would only have Hermione use it as a last resort. While Figaro nominally gave their support to the Gestahl Empire, their true allegiance was to the Returners, a resistance movement against the Empire during their campaign of conquest.

Harry and Hermione were very careful about revealing their origins to Edgar, given his apparently divided loyalties, but he found out anyway. He was astonished to learn that Harry was part-Esper, but agreed to keep it secret.

Thanks to him, they got some useful intelligence. His sources in the Returners had some knowledge of a young 'witch' with green hair with powerful magic in Vector. And she was far from the only magic user that the Empire had in their military. The experiments of Dr Cid del Norte Marquez had apparently produced two high-ranking magic users: General Celes Chere, the Conqueror of Maranda, and Kefka Palazzo, the Mad Mage.

Harry had often spied on these training grounds just outside Vector for the past few months, and had spotted them both on differing occasions. Celes Chere, despite her reputation as a cold warrior, was actually very much a woman of honour, in that she treated her soldiers with respect, even those forcibly conscripted. She even had some warmth to her. But Harry also saw that her loyalty to the Empire was, if not absolute, then strong. So too was that of another General, the still honourable Leo Christophe. They made an odd couple: one was still about Harry's age, though she held herself like an adult, with blonde hair and elegant features, while the other was muscled, dark-skinned, and looking every inch a seasoned soldier.

But they were poles apart from the vicious and chaotic Kefka. It was like looking at a wizard version of the Joker, a barely-sane painted clown with an immature, petulant attitude. Harry wanted to stay as far away from that creep as possible. In fact, the only reason why he remained here as Kekfa strolled out in Magitek armour today was that he had heard from Edgar's sources that Kefka trained Terra, and this might be one of those days.

As it turned out, Terra did come out today, albeit without Magitek armour. As he watched from cover, he stifled a gasp as Terra emerged. She was walking towards some prisoners who were slated to be executed…and whose fate was to become target practise for Terra. Her eyes were dull and unfocused, thanks to the Slave Crown, an electronic coronet on her head. Her green hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing a delicately beautiful face, currently set in a dull expression.

"Okay, Terra, my pretty little birdy!" Kefka cheered. "These guys have spurned the Emperor's offer of peace! Show them why 'spurn' rhymes with 'burn'!" He then laughed his distinctive, jeering cackle. Even Voldemort's laugh, which sometimes haunted Harry's dreams, was nowhere near as nightmarish as that cackle.

Harry grimaced. He still had his old wand, so he took it out. What to do? Making a decision, he hissed, " _Accio_ , Slave Crown!"

The Slave Crown ripped itself off Terra's head, and sped towards Harry. He fired a Stunner at Kefka while it was in mid-air, and with a squawk of surprise, the homicidal clown slumped at the controls of his Magitek armour. Once the Slave Crown reached him, he stomped on it, before picking it up, in case it was needed to help treat Terra. The Esper hybrid in question collapsed. Harry then dashed out of hiding, firing Stunners at the only guards (Kefka terrified most of the soldiers, so his guards were minimal), and then, he picked up Terra. To the prisoners, he yelled, "Get the hell out of here!" Then, he fled. He couldn't exactly help them escape completely, but at least they would have a chance.

Once he was far enough away from Vector, Harry used an emergency Portkey his father had created for this scenario. And soon, Terra and himself were on their way back home…

* * *

As the girl was tended to by the healers of the Esper World, Bahamut looked at her, and nodded. "This is indeed the child of Maduin. I remember her green hair, so much like her father's. And I can sense the power of her Esper heritage." He then turned to Harry. "That was a very risky venture."

"Less risky than heading into Vector and trying to find her and the other Espers," Harry responded. "Anyway, I got her away from there, and got those prisoners freed into the bargain. Hopefully, they'll be able to get far enough away from Vector. Maybe the Empire will recapture them. Maybe they won't. And the soldiers only caught a brief glimpse of my face. Black hair and green eyes aren't enough to go on, especially now that I don't wear glasses." Thanks to the unbinding, anyway. Harry was still getting used to having, if not perfect vision, then vision good enough for him to go without glasses.

"And if you had been captured?"

Harry pursed his lips. Eventually, all he could say to that was, "I didn't. And the Portkey would have brought me back had I been knocked out. You built in that feature, remember?"

"Indeed. A risky venture, but at least we have brought another one of our kind back into the fold. I'm glad you managed to find Ramuh and the others in Zozo."

"Even so," Lupin said, "I'm worried about you, Harry. Taking these risks."

"Hermione once said I have a 'saving people' thing," Harry said with a shrug. "Maybe I'm just trying to do something to make up for leaving Magical Britain to Voldemort."

"Harry…the way Dumbledore put those bindings on you, he was probably going to use you as a weapon. Anyway, it's too late to think of that now," Lupin said. The interface between this world and the world where they were born was now unstable, and they wouldn't be able to return for some years.

One of the healers, Seraph, came over to Bahamut. The angelic Esper said, "Physically, she has come to little harm. They fed her reasonably well, and there are little signs of physical abuse. However, she's had this Slave Crown device on for at least a few months. She may be missing some of her memory. A disgusting device." She looked at the twisted remains of the Slave Crown on a nearby table.

"Why did they only use it on her recently?" Harry asked.

"My guess?" Remus said. "Maybe she was raised in isolation, and only recently began to rebel. We can always ask her, if she remembers."

As if on cue, Terra began groaning, her eyes, as green as her hair, flickering open. Where they had been dull and unfocused while she was under the Slave Crown's control, they were now sharper, full of life, even if groggy from being revived. Upon realising that she wasn't anywhere familiar, she sat up, startled. "Peace, Terra Branford," Bahamut said, holding up a placatory hand. "We mean you no ill-will."

"Where am I?" she demanded. "Who are you? This isn't Vector, is it?"

"No, this isn't Vector. You are in the Esper World," Lupin said.

"Espers? You're…Espers?" She blinked, trying to think. But then, pink and violent light began to pulse from her body, and she seemed to change forms with it. She clutched her head, and wailed in agony, her voice becoming distorted as she transformed.

"What's wrong with her?!" Harry demanded.

"It's her proximity to so many of us," Seraph said, panicked. "It's triggering her Esper form."

With a thrum of energy and a flair of pink and violet light, Terra transformed completely. Fur grew around most of her body, over her waist, chest, and limbs. Her hands and feet became clawed paws. Her eyes became yellow, feral things, but glinting with fear rather than aggression. Her teeth became sharp, her hair a mane the same colour as her now-violet skin and the fur covering it.

There was something oddly beautiful about her form, something that called to Harry. But he had all of a second to appreciate it before, with a scream of distress, she flew for the window, smashing through it, and soaring into the sky. Just like Harry did a couple of years ago at the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

"I'll go after her!" Harry yelled.

"Son, stay put! She's dangerous in such a state until she learns how to control it!"

"She's going through the same thing I did!" Harry retorted. "I can help!" Before any further protest could be mounted, Harry transformed into his Esper state, and leapt out of the window after Terra.

In the silence that followed, Lupin said, "Well, he certainly takes after his mother."

Bahamut, despite his worry, chuckled. "Perhaps he inherited some impulsiveness from me. After all, I have never told you the tale of the time I allowed Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff to goad me into a drinking contest, have I?"

* * *

It wasn't hard to find Terra. She hadn't flown that far. She was merely perched on one of the rocky outcrops flanking the entrance to the Esper World. She was curled up in a foetal position, sobbing quietly. Harry approached quietly, and landed, though he didn't remove his own transformation. Eventually, he said, "You're not alone, you know."

She looked up sharply to see him in his own Esper form. "I went through the same thing," Harry continued. "I didn't know what I was. I thought I did, but, well, when I found out, I sort of freaked out too. Plus, from what I heard, you went through a lot of things I did. Being used by an old man to fight his wars for him. Not knowing your real parents. Well, I know my father now. I heard about you being a prisoner in Vector. That's why I rescued you."

"…Rescued me?" Her voice was slightly distorted by her transformation, but she sounded so lost, and so alone.

"Yeah. I'm Harry Potter. And like you, I'm half-Esper." He held out a hand for her to shake.

After a moment's hesitation, she shook it as well, getting unsteadily to her feet. "Terra Branford…though that man said it. I only knew my name was Terra. The Emperor…he told me my mother had died, and asked him to keep me safe(1). For a time, he treated me well, like a princess…until he began training me as a soldier. I refused, and eventually, they locked me up…like an animal. And then that monster masquerading as a jester put that thing on me and…I can't remember."

"It's probably just as well you don't," Harry said. "They made you do terrible things with it. But you're safe now."

"…Am I?"

"Well, safer than at Vector, I'd think," Harry said. "Look, I'm sorry if this is all a bit much. And I'm sorry if I took you away from anyone you liked at Vector…"

"The only man I liked was that doctor with the moustache. Cid. He was nice. And he had such sad eyes." Terra looked across the Esper World. "But Gestahl lied to me, and Kefka…" She shuddered. "I don't want to think about him."

"Well, you're not alone, you know. That's why I came after you. You're not a monster. You're not a freak. You are you, a person, a living, thinking being."

It would take more than just those words to reach across to Terra, to heal her. But Harry hoped it would be a good start. And as it turned out, they were the right words to say. With a great, shuddering inhalation, she transformed, her human form reappearing along with her clothes. He changed back into his own human form. And the smile she gave him, while a shaky, tentative thing that was small and fragile, was genuine enough.

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, Terra has met Harry, and is now free from the Empire, two years ahead of schedule.**

 **Now, in case you're wondering why Terra's mind is relatively clear, it's because she's only had the Slave Crown on for a few months, rather than two years. She's got a few blank patches of memory, but nothing like the near-blank slate she is in the game. And because we know so little of her childhood within Vector, I felt that gave me carte blanche to write in some of that. There'll be more as the story progresses. I'd like to think that, for all his greed, Emperor Gestahl treated Terra well for most of her childhood, if only to win her loyalty. He probably did to her what Comstock did to Elizabeth in** ** _BioShock Infinite_** **, or really any monarch who is obsessed with keeping a princess isolated from the world does: locking her in a tower with limited contact but every luxury imaginable. But she yearns for freedom, and once she learns something of the purpose Gestahl kept her around for, he had Kefka put the Slave Crown on her. I'd also like to think that it's possible Cid met her (though not Celes), and was possibly even her physician, even as he researched her, and experimented on her father. I also expanded upon Madeline/Madonna's backstory in the previous chapter, in case you didn't notice. I wanted to find a reason for her both being wounded, and being at the Esper World. In my mind, she's a former resident of Thamasa who left to see the world, but got captured by the Empire.**

 **The next chapter, I'm still not decided on. I'm considering either having Terra and Harry assault the Magitek Lab, or else skipping forward to the events of Final Fantasy VI proper. But I hope you guys enjoy these first few chapters of the story.**

 **1\. Although Gestahl is lying (this story is based a bit more on later versions of the translation), I thought I'd put this reference in to the original translation, where Madonna/Madeline originally asks Gestahl to look after her child, only to realise his true nature as she dies. In later translations, she immediately tells Gestahl to stay away from Terra, but he doesn't listen.**


	5. Chapter 4: Devil's Lab

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **DEVIL'S LAB**

From a cold, objective point of view, Hermione Granger found the work Cid was doing to be quite fascinating. She remembered some of the most ludicrous parts of blood purity doctrine that Malfoy used to parrot, about how Muggleborns were stealing magic from other wizards. What would he say if he were to see this?

Of course, if the magic was merely being extracted from non-living sources, or even from willing donors, she wouldn't have qualms about this. And she was at least slightly heartened to see that Cid had some qualms about it, that only the Emperor's threats to his life and that of Celes Chere made him continue. But it still left a bad taste in her mouth.

A few months back (and a couple of weeks after Terra was rescued by Harry, she would later learn), King Edgar had to entertain a delegation from the Empire that included two of the top generals of the Empire, Celes and Leo, along with Cid. The man was rarely allowed out of his lab, so it was something of an occasion. Cid had asked to see the library at Figaro Castle, and it was Hermione who had led him through it. Hermione, who had read up on the technology of this world, had corrected Cid on some matter or other that he thought he knew all about. Cid had been shocked, but then impressed. And a few days after the delegation returned to Vector, a missive came from the Emperor himself, requesting Hermione as an assistant to Cid. Edgar discussed this with Hermione and her parents, before Hermione agreed to act as his spy within the Magitek Research Facility. But not without taking precautions.

She created an enchanted gil coin (double-headed, like one Edgar frequently kept around: she said it was a gift from him) that she could use to transmit messages magically(1). And, thanks to Harry keeping in contact with her at times, she received a Portkey from him, one that would take her back to the Esper World in an absolute emergency. A gift from Bahamut.

But even so, what she was doing was appallingly dangerous, right up there with confronting a troll and getting petrified by a Basilisk. Especially given that one of the more frequent visitors to the lab was Kefka.

Hermione didn't have anything against clowns. She liked clowns normally. But Kefka Palazzo proved that there were exceptions to the rule. The only reason Gestahl kept him around, she suspected, was because his appetite for destruction was probably useful in the right circumstances…theoretically, anyway.

Terra's disappearance had thrown the Gestahl Empire into disarray. Shortly before Hermione met Cid at Figaro Castle, the Empire apparently launched an assault on the Sacred Gate, only to be unable to find it. In fact, it was like they forgot it had even existed.

Hermione knew why. The Fidelius Charm. She knew this because Harry had shown her a piece of paper with the location on a visit with Terra in tow. Hermione had seen how protective Harry was towards the green-haired girl, who was somewhat shy, but had an inner fire within. Not unlike Neville, though Terra was perhaps more overtly brave than Neville.

She was glad the part-Esper girl was not here to see this. She knew Terra was kept in the loop by King Edgar, whenever Harry visited, and it must be hard on her. She would probably wonder why Hermione didn't raze this devil's lab to the ground. Hermione was sorely tempted, but where would that get her?

Instead, occasionally, she would speak to the Espers trapped in their containment tubes, tell them half-lies that she would find a way to get them out of there. Ifrit and Shiva didn't believe her, and in fact, the only one who seemed to listen to her was Maduin. Partly because she told him that his daughter was free. The horned, bestial Esper with the green hair and gentle face was glad to hear that, though she could only tell by his facial expressions.

Then, some voices from outside the laboratory she was in. "…reckless and stupid to do so at such an early stage!" That was Cid's voice, raised in protest.

"It'd be even more reckless and stupid to disobey the order of the Emperor!" came the cracked jeer of Kefka. "So please, for my sake, continue doing so. That means _I get to_ _ **play**_."

"Kefka, will you listen?!" Cid snarled. "This is very much like the Magitek process when it was used on you. The process wasn't refined at the time, and it did terrible things to your mind."

"Really? I like to think of it as a wonderful liberator. Much as I will enjoy liberating your tongue from your mouth if you…"

"Kefka." This was the voice of Celes, sharper than usual. After a moment, she said in a calmer tone to Cid, "I am willing to go through with the procedure. I examined your report, and I believe it to be an acceptable risk. With the loss of the part-Esper, the Empire has lost one of its most valuable assets."

"And if you die, it will mean another valuable asset lost, Celes. Two, as I am sure Gestahl will have my head if you die."

"Oh, nothing that lethal. The Emperor still requires your services, Cid…but it doesn't mean I can't inflict all sorts of pain on you. Besides, the little chickadee here is your favourite little pet. I'm sure you'll do your best to make sure nothing happens to her." That damned braying cackle of his rang out, as he left.

Once Kefka had left, Cid protested, in a low hiss, "Celes, please reconsider."

As the two of them entered, Celes said, "Cid…if you refuse, they _will_ torture you. I won't allow that. Don't ask me to betray those years where you've treated me like your own daughter. I'd rather die than see you go through such pain."

Hermione looked at the blonde-haired girl, only her age, and yet holding herself with a far more adult bearing. Despite a fearsome reputation as the Conqueror of Maranda, Celes was generally polite, and sometimes even informal on the occasions when she met Hermione. There was still a heart in her, as there was in Leo. She was just too loyal to Gestahl to see what she was doing was wrong.

"Hermione," Celes said, nodding politely. "Will she be assisting with this procedure?"

"Everyone else is busy on the extraction procedures," Cid said. "Hermione may be young, but she is very intelligent, and can pick up the concepts with ease, even if they are relatively advanced."

Celes nodded. "Well, might as well get this over and done with."

Cid led them through the laboratory complex into a room with a tank in the middle, not unlike the containment tubes used for the Espers. Without any preamble, Celes began stripping off her clothes.

"What is she doing?" Hermione hissed.

"She's not doing it for the entertainment value," Cid remarked dryly. "The procedure she is about to undergo is similar to the Magitek infusion that granted her her magical abilities. But this time, we are also grafting genetic material. Genetic material I have taken from Terra."

"What?"

"Terra was half-Esper. I've isolated the parts of her genome that are from her Esper father, as it would be easier than trying to do so from the Espers themselves. And I am going to be grafting them onto Celes. The Emperor wants another part-Esper at his beck and call." Disgust tinged his voice. "But he's rushing me to perform this procedure before I've worked out the problems."

"I trust you, Cid," Celes said, having divested herself of her clothing. She was surprisingly unembarrassed about her nudity as she strode towards the tank. Cid opened it for her, and she stepped inside.

"Now, Hermione, I want you to monitor these readings," Cid said. "The interface is simple enough. Just let me know if any of these readings fall into the danger zone." He then activated another control panel, and pink, glowing liquid began to fill the tank.

"Umm…is that breathable?" Hermione asked. She had heard of breathable liquids before, especially after her parents bought a VHS of _The Abyss_.

"Perfectly," Cid said. "It does feel like drowning, but it helps deliver the genetic vector elements, as well as nutrients, drugs, and magical energy. It's not that far from an Elixir that you can breathe, with extras."

Celes waited until the liquid covered her entire body, before she exhaled as hard as she could, being forced to inhale. She began to spasm and thrash as if drowning, but soon, she was liquid breathing, her blonde hair drifting around her head like seaweed. She gave a thumbs up and a smile to Cid, who smiled back, before engaging a control that rendered the tank's exterior opaque. "For her privacy," he explained.

"Is this safe?"

"I honestly have no idea. The procedure shouldn't take more than an hour, as magic helps speed up the genetic engineering process, of her genes being rewritten. To be honest, it's just as well Celes volunteered. I did the original outline of what she is undergoing based on her genome rather than anyone else's, so if there's anyone who would be the best candidate for the procedure, it's Celes. I'd sooner not give Kefka that sort of power." Cid sighed. "He's my biggest failure. The Emperor rushed me into using the infusion procedure before it was ready on Kefka. And, well, you've seen the result."

Hermione nodded, scowling.

The two of them made light conversation over the next little while. But half an hour into the procedure, Hermione noticed something wrong with the readings. "Cid…this reading here, the one marked 'Infusion Stability', it's going towards the red. Oh no, they all are!"

Cid hastened to her side, and his eyes widened. "No, Celes…" But before he could do anything, an explosion shattered the tank, and smashed them to the floor.

* * *

Throughout the Magitek Research Facility, containment tubes containing the Espers shattered. Laboratory workers and guards were sent flying. And the Espers roused from their enforced slumber.

Had it been a year or two later, they would have been little left of them but near-Magicite. Ifrit, Shiva, Maduin, and so many others, however, were still alive.

And what was more, they felt the birthing pains of another of their number. A hybrid she may be, but her magic screamed in distress to them, and the once-captive Espers flew through the Facility, ignoring their captors.

Alarms rang, doors snapped open, and soon, a panicked evacuation ensued. Most fled the Magitek Research Facility, and just as well.

* * *

Hermione struggled to her feet, nearly slipping on the life-support liquid. When she peered at the tank's remains, however, she stared. Cid, who got woozily to his own feet, also gaped at what was in the ruins of the tank.

Hermione remembered Terra showing off her own Esper form. What sat in the remains of the tank, retching up pink fluid, was very like Terra. But instead of a pinkish-purple colour to the light emanating from the body and from the fur, there was a more orange light. And the face was recognisably that of Celes, whose eyes were now blood red.

"Celes…" Cid whispered.

"…Cid…" Celes spoke, her voice vaguely distorted by the transformation. "…No…stay back…"

Suddenly, the doors burst inward, and a group of Espers came in. The blue-skinned, skimpily-dressed Shiva and the horned Maduin went over to Celes. The former scowled. "A crude conception," the female Esper muttered. "She wasn't meant to be like us. It is only the power they siphoned off into her from a young age that's keeping her alive."

Maduin looked at the two humans, and then frowned when he saw Hermione. "This one is looking at her without fear, at least of what she has become. She has seen this before."

"Impossible," snarled Ifrit.

"Perhaps not. That one is the girl who said my daughter was free," Maduin said. "If she is free, then she may have returned to our world."

"But where is our world, Maduin?" Shiva asked. "I can't remember! These barbarians' experiments must have erased the knowledge from our minds!"

"Umm, I might be able to help there," Hermione said. "But we need to get you guys out of here. Preferably while wiping this place off the face of this world."

"Hermione? What is this? Are you a saboteur?" Cid asked.

"Well, did you really like what you were doing here?"

Cid opened his mouth, and then shut it. "It matters not," Ifrit growled. "This man extracted our essences for the ambitions of a senile fool."

"No!" Celes cried out. "Leave him be!"

"Do you understand the magnitude of the pain he put us through, whelp?" Ifrit asked disdainfully.

"Nothing compared to what I would put you through if you dare harm him," Celes growled, promised dancing in her sanguine eyes.

"We're wasting time!" Hermione yelled. She pulled out a notepad, the Portkey Bahamut had enchanted, and said, "Everybody, take a hold of this. And does anyone think they can set up a delayed explosion or something in here?"

Ifrit scowled, but nodded. Shiva and Maduin brought over Celes, and the other Espers crowded around Hermione. Under her direction, they touched the notebook. As Ifrit formed a massive fireball, Hermione whispered the passcode for the Portkey. "King Bahamut."

Suddenly, the Portkey activated, whisking them away, and shortly thereafter, Ifrit's fireball exploded.

* * *

Everyone had managed to flee the laboratory by the time it exploded, though a detachment of troops led by Kefka got front row seats when it happened. Great gouts of unearthly flame belched from the windows and doors. The fire ravaged the building, with part of it collapsing.

By the time the firefighters could get into action, it was too late. Over a decade's research had been destroyed, along with a lot of very expensive equipment. The Empire hadn't lost everything of its Magitek research: many of the researchers were still alive, of course, and there were plenty of subsidiary labs. But their Espers were lost to them, as was the genius of Cid.

Kefka was furious. But Emperor Gestahl even more so. And he swore revenge on the saboteurs…

* * *

In the Esper World, Harry and Terra were the first to come across the small pile of Espers and humans, all of them groaning in discomfort and general indignation. One of the first to their feet was Hermione. Without a word, Harry embraced his friend. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"I've been better," Hermione muttered. "It's not easy, mounting a rescue."

The next one to get to their feet was a horned Esper with green hair. As he struggled to his feet, weakly, he saw Terra, and halted. "…Terra?"

She blinked, before murmuring, as if scarcely able to believe it, "Father?"

What followed was a series of meetings. Where the weakened Espers met Harry and Terra. And where Celes and Cid were revealed at the bottom of the pile. Terra and Harry stared, astonished, at the woman who now looked like an orange version of Terra's Esper form. But the face was recognisably Celes'. Harry recognised it from his spying expeditions.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around herself in wonder, awe, and even a little fear.

"You are in the Esper World," came a deep voice from behind Harry and Terra. They turned to find Bahamut standing there, his arms crossed. "And it seems that we have another half-Esper to add to the ranks."

"And the tormentor of our people," Ifrit snarled, hauling Cid to his feet. "And he's turned that Empire general bitch into one of us!"

"Get your hands off him!" Celes snapped, sending Ifrit flying with a blast of magic.

"Celes," Cid said quietly to the new half-Esper. He then turned to Bahamut. "Do what you will with me. I have done much harm to your people. But I beg of you, do not harm Celes."

Bahamut looked at Cid, considering the man, before he said, "I will determine your punishment, whether it be penitence or death. Either way, your fealty is no longer to the Gestahl Empire."

Cid nodded. "I understand. It was only because Celes was threatened that I stayed."

"And what of _my_ fealty?" Celes demanded.

"True enough. What is your fealty? To the Gestahl Empire? The very people who exploited us?" Bahamut asked. "You are now one of us. Were you to go back, how long would it be until they slap a Slave Crown on your own brow?"

She opened her mouth to protest, only to subside when she realised that, in all probability, Bahamut was correct. "I was raised to fight. I am a warrior, a general, a commander of armies. If I don't have that, what purpose do I have?"

"I cannot answer you that. Your destiny is something you need to find. But you are free from being a general. You are free to make your choices, or at least you will be, once we are sure you won't betray us to the Empire. Whether you stay with us here, join the Returners, or go on to follow your own path, I care not. But here, you are amongst kin, even if you are only kin through the technology of humans." Bahamut spread his arms. "This is home."

Harry saw the uncertainty in Celes' eyes. But then, they fluttered, and she fell unconscious, the orange glow fading to reveal the naked body of the Gestahl Empire Magitek Knight. Cid went to her side, and then looked at them. "Help me. Please."

It was Harry and Terra who made the first move. They went to help Cid carry the unconscious general. Whatever the outcome of the day's events, though, they had, inadvertently, struck one of the most grievous blows against the Gestahl Empire. And maybe Terra had just gotten herself a half-sister into the bargain…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here you have it: Hermione and the Espers destroying the Magitek lab ahead of schedule. And the Empire doesn't know about Magicite yet either. Terra not only has her father back (and not as a Magicite shard), but now she has a half-sister in the form of Celes.**

 **I wanted to get this whole thing about the captive Espers out of the way because I would have thought that Harry and Terra would have mounted a rescue attempt. That's why I had Hermione in the lab, and I thought turning Celes into a half-Esper was something Gestahl would have ordered, if Terra had disappeared. Celes will become an ally of the Espers, and thus of the Returners.**

 **Anyway, there'll be a time-skip of two years to the events of the game in the next chapter. We'll discuss how the Espers are allied to the Returners (albeit loosely), as well as what happened to the Grangers after Hermione vanished during the explosion. We'll also be at Narshe.**

 **Sorry, by the way, if I seem to be skipping over a lot of characterisation here. It's partly because I'm assuming people are familiar with the characters of both the books and the game, and partly because I want to get to the plot of the game proper ASAP.**

 **Review-answering time!** **UnknownUnseenUnheard** **: Kefka actually may get taken out by a Stunner again, if only because, given that Harry did one from hiding, he won't know how to recognise it. Of course, it may not work on him a third time. As for how Potterverse magic works in the world of** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **, well, much the same. Bahamut, as noted above, actually has some command of magic closer to the Potterverse, like the creation of Portkeys. I think that the** ** _Final Fantasy_** **magic is more powerful for the most part, but that the Potterverse magic is more versatile.**

 **linkline** **: I'm flattered, and after the story debacle of** ** _Final Fantasy XIII_** **(Sazh is the only truly likeable and interesting character in it so far, as Snow's an idiot, Hope's whiny, Vanille is too cheerful, and Lightning is a cold-hearted bitch), I'd probably have some better ideas than whoever some of these guys have in charge.** ** _Final Fantasy XIII_** **is the first story in the series I actually despise. Of course, my writing for Square-Enix is never going to happen, and my writing is somewhat variable.**

 **wolfey141** **: Keep an eye out at Christmas…**

 **1\. Based on the same coin she devises in** ** _The Order of the Phoenix_** **.**


	6. Chapter 5: The Mines of Narshe

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **THE MINES OF NARSHE**

 _Two years later_ …

Narshe was a very, _very_ cold town. Cold in temperature, and cold in attitudes. Harry and Terra were not exactly welcome here, save for on sufferance. Only the fact that their allegiance to the Returners was loose, and their allegiance to the Empire was non-existent, meant that they could come. That, and the fact that, as representatives of the Esper World, the Esper that had been uncovered was of significant interest to them.

The Elder of Narshe accepted their argument that the Esper should be revived and kept from the Empire, but he wanted little to no involvement with the Returners. Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly going to be the case. Arvis, one of the prominent citizens of Narshe, was a sympathiser with the Returners, and he had asked for someone to come along. Meanwhile, Harry and Terra were staying at his home.

After some discussion with the Elder, it was decided that, instead of fighting the Empire's minions directly, they would stage a cave-in in the caves. That way, the Empire, in theory, shouldn't have any justifiable means to retaliate, and while that meant little to the Empire, they had precious little resources to mount such retaliation now. With the Magitek Research Facility burnt out, and the Espers gone, the Empire's expansionism had slowed significantly. Even so, there were rumours that they intended to try and take over Doma.

The Returners, meanwhile, consolidated their strength. While the Espers aided the Returners on occasion, they were more concerned with keeping the Gestahl Empire from exploiting the Espers. And with the destruction of the Magitek Research Facility, the Returners didn't have to make as many forays into battle. In truth, many Espers still mistrusted humans after the Gestahl Empire captured so many of their own.

Cid, as penance for what he did to the Espers, was now working as a medic in the Esper World. While many refused to be treated by him, his understanding of Espers was enough so that Maduin, Ramuh, and Shiva at least consented to his care. He remarked with good humour that this was more of a retirement package than punishment, though he genuinely wanted to make up for what he did. And he learned more about Espers by healing them than he did by experimenting on them.

Celes, meanwhile, opted to leave the Esper World. However, she never rejoined the Gestahl Empire. Instead, the last Harry and Terra heard, she had ended up in a remote town called Thamasa, where there were a number of Magi living in secret. Indeed, there was some small trade now between the Esper World and Thamasa. Terra, surprisingly, got along well with her new half-sister.

Hermione and her parents, unfortunately, had to leave Figaro Castle. Like Celes, they eventually made their home in Thamasa. There, they began acting as a liaison between the Returners and the Magi present, albeit on an unofficial basis: Thamasa wanted nothing to do with the Empire or the Returners, and like Narshe, would remain neutral unless the Empire threatened them directly.

The morning of the day they were going to check on the Esper started well. Two years together had made Harry and Terra the best of friends. Their shared nature, of being half-Espers, brought them together in the first place, as did Harry's unconventional rescue. But over time, Terra and Harry grew closer. And the two of them grew stronger in the process. Their confidence, ruined by isolated childhoods hampered by expectations, had grown. Aware of the fact that the Empire would try to take them back if they could, Harry and Terra trained to fight back. And should the Empire remount its assault on either the Esper World, or on the other city-states of the world, then Terra and Harry were intending to fight back. Not for the Returners, but for the people of the world.

This attitude did make them some enemies back in the Esper World. Ifrit was certainly one of the loudest voices calling for retaliation against Vector, despite ruining their abilities to use Magitek. He was also dismissive of human casualties, despite the fact that it might turn all of humanity against the Espers. Bahamut kept a tight rein on the Esper World, but he could not silence the dissidents.

Harry and Terra were currently eating breakfast on opposite sides of Arvis' table. Every now and then, Harry and Terra's eyes would meet, and Terra would blush, and the pair of them would chuckle. Last night had been enjoyable for them both, but unfortunately, their host had complained about the noise this morning. Arvis was currently checking the arrangements around the Esper.

"Do you really think we can commune with this Esper?" Harry asked, trying to move on to less carnal matters.

"Yes," Terra said. "Hopefully, we can convince he, she, or it to come back with us. It will deny the Empire another Esper to control."

"And one more back into the fold. Maybe this one was sealed during the War of the Magi," Harry mused.

"Who knows?" Terra asked. "Even your father cannot remember everything that happened during that time." Then, a rather small smile came over her features, as did another blush. "Dad's making the arrangements."

"What, for the wedding?"

Terra nodded. "Even the other Espers are getting interested, though Ifrit and his allies think it's a debasement of our society."

Harry scowled. "They're acting like the bloody Death Eaters would."

"Unlike the Death Eaters, Harry, they are afraid of humans for good reason. Not that I agree with them. I hate how they look at me." Terra sighed quietly. "Like I'm a freak."

The door opened, and Arvis, a grizzled man, came through, followed by a light brown-haired young man dressed in jeans, a jacket, a white shirt, and a bandanna. His handsome looks had a roguish air to them, but his eyes twinkled with kindness. "Terra, Harry, this is Locke Cole, master thief."

"I am a _Treasure Hunter_ ," Locke said exasperatedly, albeit with good humour. It was clear that this was a frequent joke between them.

Harry and Terra knew of him. Edgar was friends with Locke, with Locke being his contact with the Returners. Although an unrepentant thief, Locke was also very much a Robin Hood figure. He was also noted for searching out rare treasures with ease, hence his insistence on being called a Treasure Hunter.

Locke, meanwhile, smiled at them. "Anyway, you must be the two Edgar went on about. I met the Grangers a couple of times, too. Edgar told me about why the Espers haven't joined forces with us. A shame, but I understand. So does Banon. Then again, he thinks what Celes and Hermione did to that lab's helped our cause immensely. Banon also wanted to send his thanks for getting this Esper-sicle out of the way of the Empire. Any little bit helps."

Despite him talking rather like Hermione did when they first met (only less of a lecture and more of a stream of consciousness thing), Harry liked Locke. And Terra did too. "Hey," Harry said, "we want the Gestahl Empire away from us as much as you do. We just do our own bit. Unfortunately, some of the Espers don't like us being involved in human affairs. Anyway, I'm Harry Potter, and this is Terra Branford."

Locke smiled at them both. "Great to work with you two."

"I hope so," Terra said.

* * *

A few hours later, they were in the chamber where the Esper had been brought up to. One thing that the Elder of Narshe and Arvis agreed on was that someone in Narshe had divulged information to the Gestahl Empire. They could use today to find the informant, and either persuade them to cease giving away information to the Empire, or else give false information. Or, if necessary, give them a taste of Narshe justice: some of the worst criminals of the town were thrown into crevasses, dying from the fall.

Terra and Harry kept their distances from the Esper: to go too close was to risk awakening it, and they needed the Esper as a lure for the trap for the Empire. Locke also kept his distance, on the suggestion of the two part-Espers. "So, that's an Esper," he mused. "Poor bastard must be cold. How many of you look like that?"

"I haven't seen one that looks very like him before," Terra said. "Few Espers look alike. My father, Maduin, does resemble Ifrit. And many of the more human-looking ones, especially the women, look similar. But we are far more varied than humans."

"In appearance, anyway. Sometimes, our behaviour is closer to humans than we'd like," Harry murmured.

Locke looked at them, before shrugging and turning away. "Wouldn't surprise me that the Esper World isn't a utopia. Believe me, I've been all over the world, and I haven't found anything of the sort. Still, as long as you guys aren't waging war on us, I don't mind."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Terra said. "Harry told me…" Her voice caught in her throat. "Under the influence of a Slave Crown, I was able to decimate so many soldiers. On Kefka's orders. Even hybrids like we are are walking weapons. And the Espers were created to be the weapons of the Warring Triad."

Locke shrugged again. "Weapons don't think and talk, or make decisions for themselves." For a time, he remained silent, but apparently he was thinking about something. Eventually, the thief asked, "I want to ask you guys something. Do either of you know where the Esper known as Phoenix is? I heard rumours that she was buried in a cave near Tzen(1), but I wanted to know if you knew where she was?"

Harry and Terra looked at each other, before they shook their heads. "Phoenix was lost in the aftermath of the War of the Magi," Terra said. "That rumour about Tzen may be your best chance. Actually, when this is over, do you want us to help you search for it?"

Locke chuckled. "As much as I'd like to, the cave I suspect where it is is inaccessible, even to the most skilled mountaineers. You'd have to be able to fly."

Harry and Terra began to laugh. "Did we mention we could fly?" Harry asked. "But why do you want Phoenix? Actually, better question…who did you lose?"

Locke was silent for a moment, before saying, "A dear friend of mine. Rachel. It was one of the reasons I took this assignment. I kinda hoped the Esper would be Phoenix."

"Well, after this, we'll take you there," Terra said. Suddenly, she quietened, as the sound of heavy, metallic footsteps echoed through the cave. "Magitek Armour! Hide!"

The three of them hid behind some rocks. As they did so, they heard someone saying, "…expected more resistance."

"They probably think that if they dare kill us, the Empire will just send more troops to seize the town by force. I don't know whether that makes them smart or cowardly, but I ain't complaining. It takes a lot of washing to get blood off the feet of these things, Wedge."

"Still, you'd think they'd leave an Esper better guarded. Didn't Trask tell us they had some sort of monster Whelk, Biggs?"

Terra, Locke, and Harry looked at each other when they heard the name. Trask was the informant to the Empire? They'd have to tell the Elder and Arvis. Trask was a prominent merchant in the town.

"Yeah, well, stay on your toes."

Locke reached to cut the rope leading to the cave-in trap, only to halt when he saw the Esper shining. Biggs and Wedge noticed it too, and wondered what was happening. Suddenly, they were bathed in light from the frozen Esper, and the two Magitek soldiers vanished, screaming.

And then, Harry and Terra heard the voice in their head. _Come. I can sense you, Esper children_.

Harry and Terra emerged from hiding, with Locke, after some thought, securing the trap and following them. Upon closer inspection, the Esper looked like some hybrid of serpent and eagle. It was Terra who spoke first. "Who are you?"

 _It has been a long time since anyone asked my name. I am Valigarmanda, and I was frozen in this place since the War of the Magi. Over the years, it has eaten at my physical frame. Even now, it is only the ice that prevents me from becoming Magicite_.

"So, we shouldn't thaw you?" Harry asked.

 _I would prefer being a Magicite shard to being frozen in a prison of ice_ , Valigarmanda retorted. _At least I can return to my people. What of the furtive one behind you? Is he an ally?_

"Of sorts," Terra said. "He is no enemy. He was hoping you were Phoenix."

 _Phoenix? So he seeks to revive someone from the dead? But my time grows short. Defrost the ice. Release me, Esper children_.

Harry and Terra did so, carefully using Fire magic to melt the ice. For a brief moment, Valigarmanda spread its wings. _At last, I am free. Even as Magicite, I am more free than I was in that prison of ice. I grant you my powers, Esper children. Use them wisely_. And with that, the Esper seemed to collapse in on itself, becoming a shard of green crystal with a flame-like formation in the middle.

"Is that Magicite?" Terra whispered, her eyes wide with awe.

"What's Magicite?" Locke asked as the half-Esper girl picked up the crystal and pocketed it.

"Think of it as the corpse of an Esper. They're still alive, after a fashion, but they require magical energy to manifest themselves again," Harry said.

Terra nodded. "What's more, people can learn magic spells from them, even if they don't have innate magical abilities. The Esper's own magic infuses the carrier."

"Terra, should you have told him that?" Harry asked.

"Don't worry," Locke said. "That'll stay between me and Banon. We don't want to alienate the Espers if we can help it. Anyway, we'd better get going. We have a spy to deal with. And you're still offering to take me to Phoenix?"

Terra and Harry nodded. Even so, they hoped that they hadn't just made a terrible mistake…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the beginning of the events of the game…but with a different outcome, so far. Oh, and Terra and Harry are engaged, but considering the pairing I put on this story, you guys shouldn't be surprised.**

 **Oh, and will Locke be able to revive Rachel? Time will tell…but it may not be Locke/Celes this time.**

 **1\. The Phoenix Cave isn't accessible by airship in the World of Balance, but let us assume that is because it can't be accessed by airship at this time (it can't land safely), and is too dangerous to mountaineers.**


	7. Chapter 6: Forever Rachel

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **FOREVER RACHEL**

Trask was easy to persuade to turn traitor to the Empire, with his fear of being executed outweighing his greed. Supposedly, the Empire had another merchant acting as a spy in South Figaro. In any case, Trask was ordered to report that the Esper had killed Biggs and Wedge (which was true), and that it had vanished for parts unknown, its powers revived (which was stretching the truth). He would then continue to feed the Gestahl Empire information, under the careful eye of both the Elder of Narshe, and Arvis.

The next day, Harry, Terra and Locke set off for the Phoenix Cave, Terra holding onto Locke as the two Esper hybrids flew. Soon afterwards, they landed, Locke shaking his head in shock and awe as Harry and Terra transformed back to normal. "Wow, you guys are…well, great. Bit scary flying without a vehicle, though. I guess you guys are used to it."

Harry smiled. "One of my first loves, back at a magic school I went to, was to fly. On a broomstick, of all things. But now, I can fly without it. It's one of the best feelings in the entire world."

"It's very liberating," Terra agreed. They often flew together, and enjoyed their travels, though they were careful to avoid going anywhere the Gestahl Empire could spot them. The last thing they needed was more attention brought onto themselves.

They were in front of a cave mouth high up in an isolated mountainous area. "This is definitely the place," Harry murmured.

"We can sense another Esper nearby," Terra elaborated for Locke's benefit. "Being half-Espers ourselves, we can sense when one of our kin is nearby. We can't tell if it's Phoenix for sure, but it may very well be."

"Well, let's get started, eh?" Locke said, trying to be cheerful. Of course, he was so close to having his hope fulfilled…or dashed forever.

* * *

There were a number of powerful monsters in the cave, as well as elaborate triggering systems that required them to split into separate parties. They even had to cool down some lava by draining some water into it. But after some time, they finally came across their goal, sitting on a plinth.

Locke smiled as he picked up the Magicite. Terra scrutinised the Magicite, and nodded in affirmation. "It does feel like Phoenix. I mean, I've never met her, but it's like I know her anyway. It feels like flames and life."

Locke nodded. "I'll take your word for it." He examined the Magicite, and, finding nothing wrong with it(1), he pocketed it. "Okay, let's go. Hopefully, I'll be able to use this for Rachel."

* * *

After leaving the cave, they left for a town called Kohlingen. Many of the townsfolk glared at Locke, muttering darkly as he went by, and he explained why as they made their way through the town. Not long ago, he was in a relationship with a young woman called Rachel. Her father disapproved of their relationship, but Locke didn't care, taking Rachel to various places. However, on a trip to search for treasure in a cave, Rachel fell from a rope bridge, and suffered a head injury that gave her amnesia. Her father ordered Locke to leave him, and Rachel, who had forgotten Locke, sided with her father, as Locke's presence upset her father.

A raid by the Gestahl Empire on Kohlingen, however, gave Rachel a mortal injury. As her life ebbed away, she asked for someone to tell Locke that she loved him. Locke, who arrived at Kohlingen as Rachel was dying, managed to procure the services of an eccentric herbalist who was able to preserve Rachel's body, keep it just as it was, at the very brink of death. Phoenix Downs couldn't revive her, given her wounds, but perhaps the power of an Esper could.

They made their way down into the basement of the herbalist's house (Harry and Terra considering the herbalist to be very creepy and morbid), and found Rachel lying prone on a bed, a beautiful young woman with long blue hair. If it weren't for the lack of breathing, she could have been merely asleep. Locke pulled out the Phoenix Magicite, and looked at it nervously. "Can I use it? I mean, I don't have the ability to use magic like you two."

"As long as you have enough reserves of magic, you can. Everyone has magical reserves, it's the _ability_ to use magic without Magicite that few humans have." Terra looked at the Magicite in his hand. It was pulsing gently. "I think you can use it. Just… _will_ the Magicite to work. If it doesn't, Harry or myself will try."

Locke nodded, before he closed his eyes, and concentrated. "Phoenix…" he murmured quietly. "Please…bring my Rachel back to life, I beg you!"

Suddenly, the Magicite flared, and a magnificent red and gold bird appeared above Rachel. Harry stared in awe at the magnificent Esper. This Phoenix made Fawkes look like a lesser being by comparison. " _You have summoned me, Locke Cole_ ," the magnificent magical bird said in an echoing, androgynous voice. " _And in the presence of two of my fellow Espers. You wish for this woman to be brought back to life?_ "

"Please, yes, Phoenix! I beg of you, do it!"

" _Then it shall be so. Let us hope your love burns as bright and eternal as my fires. And I shall accompany you for the remainder of your journey, and that of your beloved._ " Phoenix then sang her song, and magnificent red and gold feathers rained upon Rachel…who opened her eyes, and sat bolt upright with a gasp, panting.

She then looked over at Locke, Harry, and Terra. "Locke?" she whispered, as if scarcely believing it.

" _My work is done. Use my Magicite wisely, Locke Cole,_ " Phoenix admonished, before fading away once more.

"It's an honour to be granted the use of an Esper's Magicite so willingly," Terra remarked. "You can learn how to use magic now."

"That doesn't matter," Locke said quietly, going over to Rachel. "Rachel…you're alive." He carefully held her wrist, and laughed quietly. "You have a _pulse_."

"Of course I have a pulse, Locke, I'm alive, aren't I? Unless…this is some terrible dying dream, and…"

"If it's a dream, I'm sharing it too, and I don't want to wake up," Locke replied.

Rachel nodded. "My father…what of him?"

"He died not long after the raid. He died crying for you, and cursing my name," Locke said(2).

Rachel closed her eyes, and let tears fall from them. Locke held back, until Rachel said, quietly, "Hold me. Please, Locke, hold me."

Locke did so, holding Rachel close as she sobbed. Eventually, she finished crying, calmed herself, and then, she looked at the two half-Espers. "Locke, who are these two?"

"They helped me get the Phoenix Magicite, Rachel. This is Terra Branford, and this is Harry Potter. They're half-Espers. Without them, I could never have reached the Phoenix Cave, let alone obtain the Magicite."

"Thank you, Terra, and Harry." Rachel got off her bed, and, a little unsteadily, got to her feet. "It was you who helped this hopeless romantic of a rogue revive me." She then looked at Locke. "Locke…I'm sorry for telling you to go away. I couldn't remember, and…"

"I know, Rachel. It broke my heart, but I knew why. And I didn't want to see you upset. Your father was another matter, but, well…I didn't want to see him die the way he did, let alone at all. He pretty much died of a broken heart." He looked down for a moment. "Damn, I didn't think this through."

"What? What do you mean, Locke?"

"Rachel, I'm a member of the Returners, the anti-Empire rebellion. I'm doing dangerous things all the time. I can't expose you to that, but if the Empire learns about you…"

"Locke…I followed you willingly into danger many times before. I only intend to be more careful this time. I'll happily go with you to the Returners." As he tried to argue, she snapped, "That is my final word on the matter!"

Locke slumped. "Yes, ma'am." He looked at Harry and Terra. "Look, is it too much to ask to take us back to the Returners' base?"

"As long as they don't try to conscript us, we're fine," Terra said. "I want to rest here first, though."

* * *

The next morning, they undertook another flight to the Returners' hideout, under Locke's direction. They were greeted at the entrance by a robed, robust middle-aged man with a thick beard and a demeanour that reminded Harry of Dumbledore…albeit with less of that old goat's hypocritical traits. This was Banon, the leader of the Returners.

"Locke…I wondered when you would return. Has the Esper at Narshe been dealt with?" he asked. He then looked at them. "So these are Terra and Harry. But who is this?"

"Rachel," Locke said.

Banon smiled. "So you found Phoenix? That is splendid. Take her inside, then. I will stay to talk to these two."

Locke, before he did so, turned to the two half-Espers, gratitude writ large on his face. "Look, thanks for everything you've done for me."

"And for me," Rachel added.

Locke nodded. "I'm in your guys' debt. One day, I hope I can repay it. See you guys later."

As the thief and his lover disappeared into the cave, Banon sighed. "So, you helped him find Phoenix? That's good. The guilt of what happened to Rachel ate him up within. What of the Esper in the Narshe Mines?"

"His name is Valigarmanda," Terra said. "He bequeathed his powers to us, and we'll be taking him back with us. Phoenix bequeathed her powers to Locke of her own will. That Magicite can grant the ability to learn magic."

"Can it?" Banon asked, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Then that is good news. The Empire is still recovering from the destruction of the Magitek Research Facility and the loss of Cid and Celes, but they still have many Magitek Knights. The last I heard, they were intending to gamble on a siege of Doma. Kefka is leading it."

"Shit, Kefka," Harry groaned. "Doma can hold out, can't they?"

"In theory, yes. But you and I know how ruthless Kefka can be. And…" He saw it before they did. "Good Lord, what is that?"

Harry recognised it as Remus' wolf Patronus. "It's a sort of messenger spell. For use in emergencies. Something must be wrong…"

The wolf said, in Lupin's voice, " _Harry, Terra, you need to get back as soon as possible. Ifrit's on the warpath. Hurry back._ " The Patronus then dispersed.

Harry and Terra looked at each other, before they pulled out a Portkey. "Sorry, Banon, must dash," Harry said. "Trouble back home. Good luck, though."

"Safe journey to you both, and while it may be too much to ask the Espers to ally with us wholeheartedly, I look forward to your help again."

* * *

The Portkey left them sprawled on the ground in the Esper World again, not far from the entrance, where Ifrit and a small gathering of his allies amongst the Espers was berating Bahamut. "…allow these humans to keep going free without punishment!" Ifrit roared. "You are failing us as our king, Bahamut! And you allow your spawn and that of Maduin to go freely about the world!" He looked over at Harry and Terra. "There they are now. They _stink_ of their humanity."

"You forget, Ifrit, we were once humans before, before we were transformed into the pawns of the Warring Triad!" Bahamut bellowed. "And you forget that as king, I have to consider the safety of us all."

"By hiding like rats?" Ifrit sneered. "You are a coward, Bahamut, a craven mouse who refuses to fight the very creatures who seek to exploit us! You even have them counselling you, filling your ear with poison!"

Shiva, who was alongside Bahamut, shouted, "Enough, Ifrit! I suffered alongside you in that devil's lab as well! I too want revenge against the Gestahl Empire, but there has to be another way than an all-out assault, lest they capture us!"

"You treacherous slattern, Shiva," Ifrit snarled. "You've clearly forgotten about that suffering if you are siding with that decrepit dragon! I will kill every last human in Vector, and I will enjoy doing it!"

Terra glared at Ifrit. "And what will that prove? Killing people and enjoying it is what people like Kefka do. He's probably doing that to Doma even as we speak."

Ifrit looked at her, before he turned to Bahamut. "Then I will show you that you are wrong! We are going to Doma, to destroy Kefka, and the army he leads! And you will give up your throne, when I bring you Kefka's perfidious head here, congealed in its own vile blood." And with that, Ifrit and his faction left through the entrance, before Bahamut could give any orders to stop them. Ifrit and his followers were on the warpath, and little could stop them now…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Rachel has been revived, and Ifrit's gone to face down Kefka. So, fun times all round.**

 **Anyway, I've effectively derailed canon from the game by now, especially with Rachel now revived. Let's see where it ends up next, eh?**

 **1\. I decided that the damage to the Phoenix Magicite was due to the cataclysmic events Kefka caused when he interfered with the Warring Triad in the game (rocks fell onto the Magicite or something, damaging it). Therefore, unlike the game, Phoenix revives Rachel properly, and she stays alive.**

 **2\. I can't honestly remember whether Rachel's father was still alive during the events of the game. I'm sorry if it turns out he was, so for the sake of this story, assume he's dead.**


	8. Chapter 7: The Fierce Battle

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **THE FIERCE BATTLE**

It was difficult flying with the Invisibility Cloak on. Thankfully, it seemed to make sure that it wrapped itself around both Harry and Terra as they flew to Doma, but even so, the Cloak was something of a drag. They needed to make sure that neither Ifrit's rebels nor Kefka and the Gestahl Imperial Army saw them.

They weren't sure what they could do. If necessary, they would take Kefka by surprise and stop him before he killed any of the Espers. Then they would have to find a way of subduing Ifrit and the others. They had taken Portkeys that could force the rogue Espers back to the Esper World.

When they hovered over Doma Castle itself, though, they realised they were too late in one regard. The river feeding the castle was a brilliant fluorescent purple, and with the heightened senses of their Esper states, Harry and Terra caught the bitter smell of something poisonous. Bodies littered the ramparts of Doma like the discarded toys of some giant, petulant child.

In the distance, they could see the Imperial camp, and watched as the Espers swooped at the camp, destroying parts of it, fire casting a sullen glow in the dusk sky. Harry and Terra approached, before they found a commotion outside the camp. A man dressed in the garb of a Doma samurai was amongst a group of soldiers near the camp, slashing at them furiously. "Have at thee, blackhearted spawn!" he roared angrily. "Death walks amongst thee this day!"

Harry and Terra landed near him, and disengaged their Esper forms, before whipping off the Cloak, and sending the Imperial soldiers flying with their spells. The Doma samurai started, and then looked behind him at the newcomers. He had dark hair tied back in a ponytail and a thick, elegant moustache. His face was lined and hardened, but not without compassion. There was a noble, elegant air to the man, in both his dress and manner. "Art thou friend or foe?" he asked.

"Friends, we hope," Harry said. "Who are you, what happened?"

"I am Sir Cyan Garamonde, retainer to the murdered king of Doma," the samurai said. "That foul fiend Kefka Palazzo poisoned the water supply of our fair castle. Most of my people have perished, including my king…my wife…and my son." Despite his stoicism, Harry and Terra heard the barely-suppressed grief and anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Harry said sincerely. "Where's Kefka now? And have you seen any strange beasts?"

"The answers to both thine questions art related," Cyan said, pointing to the camp. Harry watched the rebellious Espers swooping at the soldiers…and now some were beginning to be hit by powerful magic. "Kefka remains in yonder camp…and it seems he is exploiting his dark powers. May I know the names of my new allies?"

"I'm Harry Potter, this is my girlfriend, Terra Branford, and we came here to stop those beings."

"From trying to destroy Kefka?" Cyan asked.

"No, they'll be destroyed _by_ Kefka," Terra explained. "They're Espers!"

Cyan's eyes widened. "The magical beasts of yore? But why are you so concerned?"

"Because if they die, the Empire will get their power!" Terra retorted. "And Kefka seems to be winning the battle!"

Indeed he was, for they heard his distinctive jeering cackle in the distance, and where there had been perhaps a dozen Espers attacking the Imperial camp, there was now only one: Ifrit. And a high-powered spell from Kefka sent the horned Esper crashing down near Harry, Terra, and Cyan. When he looked up at them, drooling blood, there was no anger or hatred like there had been before. Instead, there was a plea in his eyes. "Whelps…get away! That is no human, that is the worst kind of demon in human shape!" he rasped.

They had no time, though, as the colourful, clown-like mage pranced out of the Imperial camp, and saw Ifrit and his would-be helpers. He was idly juggling the Magicite of the last couple of Espers he had killed. "Ooh, what's this?" he said, upon seeing the three of them. "Little Terra, a decrepit old samurai without a kingdom and…" Upon looking at Harry, he frowned, putting the Magicite in his pockets. He put a finger on his chin in a mockery of solemn contemplation. "Do I know you? No, wait, wait, let me think, don't tell me…I killed a member of your family, and you want revenge. I'd probably not remember who they are. Was it a Tuesday when it happened(1)?"

"You didn't kill anyone I care about, Kefka," Harry said. "Not until today, when you murdered all those Espers."

His eyes widened, and his near-perpetual grin widened. "Ohhh, _ohhh_ …" He sniffed the air, and then tapped his nose. "I see, now. You're like little Terra. I can _smell_ it. The lovely bouquet of all that magic. A half-Esper hybrid. And I remember your voice now, little half-blood. You were the one who ambushed me, and kidnapped my sweet little Terra." His face and demeanour became more serious, the growl of his voice chilling. "You will pay for that humiliation, screaming for a death that will not come. I will bring you two back to Gestahl, and we will make sure you are both loyal, obedient soldiers of the Gestahl Empire." He then pointed at Ifrit, and impaled the Esper through the chest with a Blizzard spell. Ifrit gurgled, spasmed, and then died, his form glowing and turning into Magicite, which Kefka summoned to his hand.

"They shalt not fight thee alone, foul cur," Cyan said, stepping forward, drawing his sword, and pointing it at Kefka. "Thou certainly did slaughter my family and my liege. They shall go on to Paradise…but thou shalt be cast into the Inferno!"

"Thou, thou, thou!" Kefka sneered mockingly. "Seriously, who talks like that, eh? Well, after I'm done with you, there won't be anyone anymore." He emitted his braying cackle, before he sent a Fire spell at Cyan. Cyan was too slow to get out of the way, thanks to his shock at seeing Kefka using magic, a supposedly long-dead art. True, he had seen Kefka use it from afar and on Ifrit, but to be the target was another matter.

He rolled on the ground to smother the flames, before coming up with surprising agility to slash at Kefka. " _Bushido: Mai(_ _2)_ _!_ " Cyan roared, slashing repeatedly at Kefka, who had to dodge the attacks hurriedly, his eyes comically wide.

Harry and Terra had to admire the skill Cyan showed. The middle-aged samurai seemed to dance with his attacks with the speed and grace of a man half his age. In an attempt to help, they used together a form of Blizzard spell to create a wall of ice behind Kefka, who yelped when he realised he couldn't retreat any further. With a roar, Cyan charged at Kefka, only for the mage to dive out of the way, and causing Cyan to get his sword stuck in the wall of ice. Kefka kicked Cyan in the head, and sneered. "Sleep, little samurai, I'll deal with you later."

"Harry, we need to go all out," Terra said. Without prompting, she changed into her Esper form. Harry did so as well.

Kefka stared at the two part-Espers, so he was surprised when they rushed him together, sending him flying with magic-enhanced blows. Terra grabbed him and punched him in the face. "That was for the Slave Crown, _you son of a bitch!_ " she screamed. She then hurled him at Harry, who was preparing his special attack. Harry had learned from his father how to do the Mega Flare-style attacks Bahamut and his family were known for. Terra prepared her own attack, based on her father's Chaos Wave. They were going to use the two attacks simultaneously. They had trained for this day, in case they ever had to fight an opponent this powerful.

As Kefka shook his head, trying to recover, Harry and Terra yelled, "CHAOS FLARE!" Their attacks were unleashed simultaneously, and Kefka shrieked in agony as the magical energy buffeted him. He hit the ground with a thud, and rolled onto his back, his face screwed up in pain.

Some of the Magicite spilled from his pockets, but he snarled at them, "You haven't…seen the last…of me. Hate, hate, **_HATE_** you. _Teleport_." He vanished in a flare of light.

Harry and Terra rushed over to Cyan, and healed him before waking him up. When he saw their Esper forms, he started. "Harry, Terra, what manner of sorcery is this?"

"Kefka said it. We're both half-Esper," Terra said. "I'm sorry if we frightened you, but…"

"Thou didst frighten me, but I recognised thee," Cyan said, getting to his feet. "Besides, I saw thee use the arcane arts, like that fiend Kefka. As thou helped me when I was outnumbered, though I would have slain those curs of the Empire with ease, I consider thee comrades, no matter what thou art." He went to his sword, and tried to pull it out, only to fail. "Prithee, may I have some aid in removing mine blade?"

"Sure," Harry said, as he and Terra melted their ice wall with a Fire spell. They reverted to their human forms afterwards.

As Cyan checked his blade over for any damage, he asked, "I had thought the Espers and magic long gone from the world. I thought I would long be dead and dust ere it emerged once more. But first the Empire and their accursed Magitek, and now Espers, including those who art part-human." Sheathing the sword, he said, "I am in thy debt for thine assistance. My liege is slain by foul poison, as is my wife and son. There are but few of the people of Doma who yet live. I hath little place to go. Would thy hath mine sword for your people and their cause?"

Harry and Terra looked at each other, before Terra said, "Your offer is kind, Cyan. We'll consider it, but if you have no place to go home to…well, while we are not members, we have contacts in the Returners. We also know the King of Figaro, Edgar. I'm sure either Edgar or the Returners would be glad of your skill with a blade."

"Then the Returners shalt have my blade," Cyan said resolutely as they walked to the Imperial camp. "For vengeance against Gestahl and his curs. The only honourable one amongst them is Leo Christophe. I hath heard tidings of General Celes deserting. 'Tis good."

"Celes is like us now," Harry said. "Originally, she was merely a Magitek Knight, but they tried to turn her into another version of Terra. They succeeded a little too well."

"Ah, so that is why whispers reached mine ears about a laboratory in Vector exploding," Cyan said. "She became branded a turncoat at about the same time." He scowled as they came up to the ruins of Magitek Armour, destroyed by the Espers. "Even so, the loss of that place hath done little to deter the ambitions of Gestahl. Gestahl and Kefka hath much to answer for, and I look forward to the day whereupon I smite them both." After a moment, he asked, "A question, if it pleases thee. How art we to make our way to the Returners? I hath heard that their headquarters is hidden and remote."

Terra and Harry looked at each other, and then grinned equally impishly. "Tell me, Cyan," Harry said, "how do you feel about flying?"

* * *

Cyan, surprisingly, held up well. He was somewhat pale, understandably, but he bore the experience with his stoicism. Harry guessed that this was how Cyan managed to cope with the death of his wife and child. There was something in the man that reminded Harry of both Sirius and Remus, at least how they managed to cope with adversity. Sirius had, after all, spent over a decade in Azkaban, and Remus had to live with the curse of being a werewolf. Of course, Cyan was considerably more stoic than either of them.

He had them land a little way away from the entrance to the hideout, though. Then, he turned away from them, and began to sob quietly for a minute. Then, after a moment, he composed himself, and nodded. "Forgive that display. I needed an expurgation of mine sorrow and grief."

Harry nodded sympathetically. "My mother and adoptive father were murdered by a madman, and I was sent to live with uncaring relatives. Terra was kidnapped by Gestahl when she was a baby, and only met her real father recently, like me. Her mother is dead. And she was forced to be the Empire's pet weapon via a Slave Crown."

Cyan peered at her. "Green hair…yes, I hath heard tales of the green-haired witch of the Gestahl Empire. I am gladdened that thou art no longer their slave, Lady Terra. Thou art too beautiful and fine a maiden in mien and in spirit to be the thrall of Gestahl."

Terra smiled sadly. "Thank you, Cyan. Or should that be Sir Cyan?"

"I need no title, only my skill in battle," Cyan said. "I am a noble of a kingdom in ruins now, in any case. The Returners would care little for such a thing. They wouldst only care for my skill in Bushido, and that I intend to grant them."

* * *

Banon soon greeted them upon their arrival, along with Locke and Rachel. After he heard their tale, he lamented, "So, Doma has fallen. Where next shall the Empire strike?"

"Worse, they've managed to get a hold of Magicite," Terra said. "Not many, but each contains an Esper, dormant within, as well as the ability to bestow magic on the wielder. Kefka dropped some of those he had obtained, but he still has about seven. Seven Espers. They could even use the Magicite in their Magitek processes. Cid once was allowed to examine the Magicite of the Esper World, and realised that they could use it both to create more Magitek Knights, as well as extract magic more efficiently. It doesn't mean the Gestahl Empire has won, it just means they've regained an advantage."

"It's more than likely that the Empire will strike next at Figaro, particularly South Figaro," Locke said. "Edgar's been getting more and more missives from Gestahl with barely-veiled threats. Figaro Castle itself should be safe given its defences, but South Figaro is another matter, especially with that traitor we found there. There's another one too, Plutir, the richest man in the town. He's the main traitor, while that merchant was merely one of his allies."

"Well, we'll have to find a way to stop Gestahl," Harry said. "We may have stopped Kefka, but what we did to him is nothing a Curaga or Elixir wouldn't fix. And he now knows there are two half-Espers, three if he suspects that Celes is still alive. Which he probably does."

"True," Banon said. "And if the threat from the Empire has increased, then I must renew my plea to the Espers to help us. I will prepare a missive for you to take to your leader."

"To my father?" Harry asked. "To King Bahamut?"

"Indeed," Banon said. "I cannot force you to help us, but your strength is needed to stop the Empire, if they are growing so bold." He seemed about to say something else, before there was a commotion at the entrance. A burly, muscled young man was limping through. His resemblance to Edgar was astonishing, and Harry and Terra remembered Edgar telling them of his twin brother, Sabin.

Terra and Harry were at his side in seconds, using Cure spells on the burly young man. After a moment, he straightened. "Thanks, you two. Though what the heck was that?"

"Magic, my dear fellow," Banon said. "Am I correct in assuming you are Sabin Figaro?"

Sabin nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, my brother once told me that you guys had a hideout here. I needed help. My master was murdered by his own son, and when I confronted Vargas, we were forced into a duel to the death. I was forced to let him fall off the mountain. But he gave as good as he got." Sabin shook his head. "Vargas, if only you didn't have that pride of yours…Duncan was going to choose him as a successor, but Vargas thought Duncan had chosen me."

"We can offer you lodgings for the night, Sabin," Banon said. "So too to Harry and Terra. Once I am finished with my missive, please take it back to your father, Harry, with all due haste."

Harry nodded. And to be fair, he wanted to help the Returners now. The Gestahl Empire, in poisoning Doma and killing those Espers, had gone too far. The only problem was, would the Espers agree to help now?

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **The first proper battle between Kefka, Harry, and Terra. And the debut of Cyan! Hope you guys enjoyed that.**

 **1\. A reference to the very quotable line from the abysmal but eminently quotable** ** _Street Fighter_** **movie, where Bison, when he admits that he can't remember killing Chun Li's father (much to her fury and astonishment) that while for her it was the most important day of her life, for him, it was Tuesday.**

 **2\. The Japanese form of the Bushido attack 'Flurry' or 'Quadra Slash'. I thought, for this attack, that I would use the Japanese version.**


	9. Chapter 8: Protect the Espers!

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **PROTECT THE ESPERS!**

The next morning, Terra looked at the Magicite Kefka had dropped, and they had picked up. Ifrit was one of them. And as much as they had their differences with these Espers, Harry and Terra mourned their passing all the same. Kefka had managed to return to Vector (presumably) with many more, and it probably wouldn't take long for the mad mage to realise he could learn more magic through the Magicite.

They were soon joined by Sabin, the burly blonde man looking suitably pensive and sympathetic. "Banon's writing that letter for you to take to your leader."

Harry nodded. "I can't guarantee my father will help. I mean, I intend to, but given that a dozen of our people were killed by Kefka…"

Sabin nodded. "I heard stories about that freak. I actually met him a couple of times. God, that laugh of his is annoying. Locke told me that the Espers' remains can be used to teach people magic. If Kefka's got a hold of them for Gestahl…"

"We know," Terra said solemnly. "Harry, I've been thinking…the Magicite Espers can be communicated with, can't they?"

"Yeah, so?" Harry asked, not liking Terra's question. Because he was sure that Terra had realised something really bad.

"Can the Fidelius Charm be broken that way? If they know where the Esper World is…"

Harry's eyes widened. "Shit! I hadn't thought about that! We'd better hope that Gestahl or Kefka don't think of that!"

"And if they know anything about the Esper World at all, then they may know about the Warring Triad!" Terra continued. "Or they can learn about it from the Espers they have captured!"

Sabin frowned. "The Warring Triad?"

"The three deities who started the War of the Magi, first by turning humans into Espers, and then, once they ceased their battles, left Magi and Espers to fight amongst themselves," Harry explained. "Their statues lie within the Esper World, and contain unfathomable magic power."

"What's more, their power exists in a state of equilibrium," Terra added. "Shift the balance too much, and…the world will change. Catastrophically. There'd be massive earthquakes and volcanos everywhere as everything shifted. So many people would die."

Sabin paled as the implications sunk home. Heavily-muscled though he was, he was clearly far from stupid. "Gestahl would want the power, but he probably wouldn't dare tamper with the balance, or he'd risk not having anything to rule. But Kefka…"

"He'd do it for kicks," Harry concluded with a scowl.

Terra nodded. "If there was a lever to end the world, Kefka would pull it, repeatedly."

"We'll have to warn our people," Harry said. "If there's a chance that Kefka and Gestahl will learn how to enter the Esper World, they have to know."

"Any way I can help?" Sabin asked.

"The Returners probably need all the help they can get," Harry said. "The Espers tend to be a bit leery of helping humans, or accepting help from them."

"You're helping us. Locke said you two were Espers, or at least half-Esper."

"I have a saving people thing," Harry said.

"And I share it," Terra said, before a pensive look came over her face. "Harry…there's another factor. Ifrit and the others knew of Thamasa and the Magi there."

Harry paled, a sudden realisation hitting him once more. "Oh shit."

Sabin frowned. "What do you mean, oh shit? And what do you mean, Magi? There're still magic users in the world?"

"Yes, but they don't like having their existence advertised," Harry said. "Partly because they're afraid of exploitation! They live incognito at Thamasa…as does Celes, and Hermione."

"Wait, Celes? The Gestahl Empire general? I heard she disappeared a while ago! The Empire claims she's defected!"

"She's still alive and well in Thamasa." Terra began pacing. "It may be that the Empire would consider Thamasa a soft target, compared to the Esper World. Gestahl may try to conscript the Magi there for his assault on the Esper World."

"How many of those Slave Crown things do you think the Empire has?" Harry asked.

"Enough," Terra said. "I have memories of them replacing mine at least twice, when my power shorted them out. They're expensive, but even a dozen Magi could prove to be the edge they need. Especially with Kefka involved. And they will use hostages for the others. They may even try to recapture Celes."

"Okay," Harry said. "We'll have to warn Thamasa after we've seen my father."

Banon chose that moment to enter. "Harry, Terra," he said, handing them a letter, "I hope this will persuade your people to help us against Gestahl. Please help us."

"Banon, we can't promise that the Espers will help," Harry said. "But I promise you, we'll do our best to stop the Empire."

"Thank you."

* * *

Harry and Terra stood before Bahamut, who was reading the missive from Banon. They had reported about Kefka's attack on Doma, and the Espers decimated by Kefka, and had presented the Magicite the ones they salvaged had turned into.

After some time, Bahamut shook his head. "I will not ask any of my people to go to war unless they wish, especially not after Kefka has shown himself more than capable of killing some of our most powerful warriors."

"They lost because they underestimated him," Terra said. "Harry and I, along with the Doma samurai Cyan, had him on the ropes. His main advantage is not his magical power, but rather, his ruthlessness and unpredictability. I have studied the man from the memories I have from training and fighting alongside him."

"A fair assessment. And I see that you wish to fight him, in defence of your friends in Thamasa and the Returners," Bahamut said. "In truth, you have a certain advantage. Espers, being entities composed more of magic than matter, can be more vulnerable to certain magics. But you, as half-Espers, are more resilient, as you are caught between worlds. It will take a lot to kill you, and you can be revived by Life magic or a Phoenix Down before you turn into Magicite. That is one of the few reasons I am considering allowing you to aide them." Bahamut stepped down from his throne, and approached them. While technically he was but one of the rulers of the Esper World, he was considered the strongest, and the de facto ruler. "And I need as many able-bodied Espers here as I can in case the Empire does decide to attack."

Lupin, who was standing behind Harry and Terra with Maduin, said, "Part of the problem with casting the Fidelius on the Esper World is that all Espers within it have become Secret Keepers. Due to the odd nature of magic on this world compared to back home, the deaths of all those Espers has caused the Fidelius Charm to fail. We're already vulnerable. And if the Empire can interrogate the Espers within the Magicite…"

"We can expect an invasion before long," Maduin finished grimly. "We're closer to Vector than Thamasa or the Returners, and while there's doubtless a good chunk of the Imperial Army on the other continent, if I were Gestahl and Kefka, I'd be sending another expedition to attack our realm."

"Then we will delay returning to the Returners…I can't believe I just said that," Terra murmured. "Anyway, we will have to defend the Esper World first."

"We'll go to Banon. If we can persuade him to help us, though…will the others accept humans fighting on our behalf?"

Bahamut shook his head. "I don't know. They may not. But any help would be appreciated by me, if nobody else."

"And I, sire," Maduin said.

"Then I would task the two of you with asking for the Returners' aid," Bahamut said. "Lupin, please make some Portkeys for them. And make them capable of return trips."

"Then you can help me, Harry. You know where the Returners' hideout is," Lupin said.

* * *

Banon, as it turned out, was easy to persuade. While he wished to keep half of the Returners' forces near Figaro in case of invasion, he agreed to let anyone who wished to go to defend the Esper World. Locke, Rachel, and Cyan agreed to go almost immediately. Sabin opted to stay, if only because his brother might be attacked at Figaro, and he wanted to be sure to be there for him.

Cyan opted to fight at the front lines, as was his idiom in battle anyway, being a trained samurai. Locke and Rachel, on the other hand, opted to use Magicite, with Rachel being given Phoenix to act as a combat medic, while Harry and Terra, after some consideration, gave Locke Valigarmanda, allowing him to use higher-tier magic.

As they saw that, much to their horror, the Gestahl Empire army was approaching, they decided to lay an ambush. The pass leading up to the entrance to the Esper World was narrow. And the force being sent was surprisingly small. True, it had a number of Magitek Armour riders, not to mention Magitek Knights…but at their head was the vicious Kefka. And he couldn't be underestimated.

Which was why Harry and Bahamut were in hiding in front of the army, while Terra and Maduin were at the rear, the two part-Espers in their Esper forms. The thing that the Gestahl Empire had forgotten was that all Espers could fly, even if they didn't have wings. Which meant that the normally impossible-to-scale walls of the mountain pass was teeming with Espers, currently hidden, along with Neville and Lupin. The Returners who had joined them, the ones who weren't given Magicite, were concealed by Notice Me Not charms while keeping close to the wall.

When the Imperial force was in position, Harry and Bahamut roared simultaneously, "MEGA FLARE!", blasts of energy belching from their mouths, digging out a deep crater blocking the progress of the Imperial force.

Then, Terra and Maduin yelled, "CHAOS WAVE!", firing energy waves that caused rocks to fall from the walls of the mountain pass, blocking the retreat of the small army.

Kefka looked around comically, before saying. "So inhospitable! We were just coming for a social engagement! Oh, wait, did I say social? I meant _martial_. Show yourselves, cowards!"

Bahamut did, flying down, his arms crossed, Harry following him. In a deep, tenebrous rumble, the Dragon King, now in his dragon form, said, " ** _Soldiers of the Gestahl Imperial Army. Surrender, and your lives will be spared. You are outmatched._** "

Kefka's only reply was a sneer, and he sent a Flare spell at Bahamut. The dragon flew up into the air, and fired off a Mega Flare in retaliation. Which was the signal to begin.

A number of the Imperial soldiers fled, only to end up at the rubble blocking their retreat. The others willing to fight surged forward, firing up at the Espers gathered on the top of the mountain pass. The Espers took cover with ease, and soon, the Imperials had to deal with fire from above, and foes on the ground next to them, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, Cyan Garamonde leading them, screaming battlecries as he danced amongst the Imperial forces, killing or disabling them, before he managed to get to Kefka, surprising the mage long enough to slash the man's left arm off. With a scream of pain and fury, Kefka retaliated with a Firaga spell, but this time, Cyan dodged the spell, and an unfortunate Imperial soldier behind him was incinerated with a wail of agony.

The Imperial forces were soon decimated, many surrendering. However, Kefka crawled away. As Terra approached him, glaring at him, he sneered. "Oh, you wanna hurt me, little chickadee? Go on ahead, do it. I'll take what you can dish out, and give it back a hundredfold."

"Actually, that's what I was going to say to you, Kefka," Terra snarled back. "You wanted the Espers…well, here we are. We will never be weapons of war again. I'd tell you to tell your master that, but I intend to tell him myself. Whereas I am going to kill you, for what you did to me, and my people."

Kefka laughed jeeringly, even as he healed the bloody stump where his hand used to be. "Oh, that hatred…I'm so _hard_ right now. Of course, I'm even harder knowing that you believe that this is the only expedition. You see, the Emperor has ordered that goody two-shoes oh-so-sickeningly-nice-and-honourable General Leo to fetch back Celes…because those Espers I caught…they were quite chatty about her and that little whore Hermione being in Thamasa."

"You're bluffing," Harry said, landing next to Terra.

"Am I?" Kefka jeered. Then, his eyes widened. "Ooh, I've never seen an otter made of light before!"

Harry, on an impulse, whirled to find what looked like Hermione's Patronus speeding towards them. That was all the time Kefka needed to hiss, " _Teleport!_ ", before vanishing.

But then, the otter said, in Hermione's voice, " _Harry, Terra, everyone, Thamasa is under attack! The Gestahl Empire has sent a force to subjugate it! We need help!_ "

Upon hearing that, Harry felt his heart fill with dread. Hermione and Celes were in trouble. And maybe it was already too late…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out. I had other things on my mind. Hopefully, this won't be too disappointing. It may be a while before the next one, too.**

 **Review-answering time!** **lokarryn** **: Setzer will probably be seen later when Luna gets involved again. However, I am not sure about Mog or Shadow (the latter might just happen to be in Thamasa, though), and Umaro, well, probably not.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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